My Little Pony: Talismans are Magic
by Aoshi19
Summary: The mane six are in for one of their most difficult tasks yet. They must acquire all twelve of the Chinese zodiac talismans before Shendu and his flunkies can get them first.
1. Prologue: An Unlikely Encounter

Prologue

It had only been a few hours after the wedding ceremony between Shining Armor and Princess Cadance had come to an end. Every pony was very joyful to witness the marriage between two lovers that would never depart until death. Of course, when there's a marriage there's a also a reception. Eveyone was also hungry for delicious food and eager for some fun party games, especially since the battle against Queen Chrysalis was also something more to celebrate over.

However; unknown to every other pony, there was only one other that did not show must interest in the royal Canterlot event. That pony just so happened to be Trixie Lulamoon, one of Ponyville's most intriguing unicorns. "Ugh... out of all the ponies that Candance marries, it WOULD be Twilight Sparkle's older brother." she groaned in disgust. She couldn't help but notice Twilight and here closest friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all being very social and having a blast. "First she beats me in magic, NOW she becomes royalty through marriage!" Trixie had always bared a grudge since the time when Twilight Sparkle subdued an Ursa Minor from terrorizing Ponyville. On top of that, she also had her so-called powerful magic exposed as simple illusions and tricks.

Trixie wasn't simply in Canterlot to show respect to the royal family. She was on a mission; a mission that would require stealth, wits, and nerves of steel. Trixie had become so desperate to outdo Twilight after being outclassed once before, that she planned a heist to sneak in to the Canterlot Castle to find anything that could make her a more powerful unicorn. One can also assume that Trixie was never the type to be a heroic figure to others. She was always thinking about her own agenda, and wanted to use this opportunity to get the most out of her stay while every other pony was attending the Canterlot wedding reception. Little did the illusionist unicorn realize that fate would bring her to one of the greatest threats in all of Equestria.

"Now's a perfect time." Trixie whispered under her breath. The guards had become so bored of standing at attention that even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna invited them to watch and participate in dancing and karaoke. She slouched down underneath her table concealed behind the tablecloth. Her quiet movement and stealthy hooves allowed Trixie to sneak from bush to bush and eventually make it to the unguarded entrance to the castle without being spotted at all. "Phew, glad that part's over." she gasped. As Trixie entered the castle and wondered the empty dark halls, she was both surprised and not surprised at the same time that there were no guards patrolling the area. "I should have guessed that everyone including the night time sentries would all be attending the reception." she snickered to herself. "Security here stinks." After about thirty minutes of exploring different halls and rooms, she finally came to the end of a corridor with a very large black and eerie door that had a "Keep Out!" sign hanging off the door handle. "Well well, well, what have we here?" Trixie said with a slick smile. "If there's a door, there must be treasure." She was in no mood to respect Princess Celestia's private matters, and she had come too far not to go inside. Without hesitation, Trixie opened the door and proceeded without caution.

It was pitch black inside, but it didn't take long for Trixie to discovered that she was not alone. "You there! Come closer..." A high-pitched sinister voice pierced through Trixie's heart and a chill ran down her spine. She did not know right away how to react, but her intial thought was to get out of there instantly. Before Trixie could react, the doors slammed shut and she was stuck in complete darkness. In about 5 seconds, torches lit up at once and she was in aw and shock as she came face to face with a greenish gold coiled dragon mounted on the wall and bared octagon shaped sockets in its body. Strangely though, the dragon did not move and it appeared to be made out of some kind of metal instead of flesh and scales. The red glowing eyes and the wicked mouth indicated to her that this was where the voice came from. "My name is Shendu, and I am the greatest demon sorcerer to walk this earth. I command you to become my faithful servant and fulfill my mission to acquire all twelve talismans and allow me to regain my power to rule once more!

"Ha ha ha! Trixie laughed in amusement. And why should the great-and-powerful Trixie listen to a talking dragon statue?" Trixie said with an arrogant patronizing tone. "You have no idea what you're up against, you naïve pony!" Shendu interrupted. "I am not just a mere statue! You are in the presence of a demon sorcerer that has lived for several millenia. One thousand years ago, I was imprisoned by one of the eight immortals and was banished through a dimensional portal leading to this odd universe. However, things did not end there because as soon as the two alicorn princesses discovered me, they knew that they were dealing with an evil demon. They scattered all of my powers in the form of talismans so that I would never regain them again, and imprisoned me in this area where I reside as of right now. Should all twelve come in to my possession, I will become flesh and blood just the way I was before."

"Hmph! Too bad for you, I guess the great-and-powerful Trixie will just have to find these magic rocks for herself! " As soon as Trixie turned her back ready to leave, Shendu shouted back. "Foolish mortal! Even if you found the talismans, you wouldn't know how to unlock their magic! I am the only who understands each of their unique powers, so there's no point in you keeping them for yourself!" Trixie couldn't help but think Shendu was not sharing all the information he knew. "So what's in it for me if I find all twelve?" Trixie retorted. "Quite the demanding one, aren't you?" Shendu said with his eyes glowing a little more red than before. "During my reign in the human realm, I was the richest and wealthiest demon that possessed the finest riches of the world, enough gold and coin to give you financial power over anybody in the world. After I was sealed away, the treasure and my castle had crumbled to the dust of the earth. Fortunately for you, the treasure and my stronghold will be restored when I return to my original form." Shendu could tell by the blank look on Trixie's face that she fantasizing just from the idea of having gems, bullion, and artifacts in her possession.

"So, my young Trixie... Does the reward interest you?" Shendu said with full intention of enticing the blue mare. Trixie had never liked the idea of being somebody elses pawn to do dirty work, but her fascination of living on a hoard of treasure in her own castle greatly increased her interest in finding the talismans. "Yes, Shendu. Your wish, is my command." the intrigued unicorn replied and saluted her hoof with a greedy and lustful smile across her face. "Ah, very good. I knew I could count on you the moment you appeared before me. However, these talismans are very difficult and dangerous to find in Equestria, and I highly doubt that you alone will be able to achieve this task. I recommend that you find some reinforcements to ensure a successful mission." Trixie knew instantly who she would resort to for assistance. "Hmm... I know exactly who will follow every command!" "A very confident mare you are." Shendu replied with more contempt in his voice. "I too will aid you in your quest for the talismans... But first things first! We must relocate somewhere before the alicorns find out about this encounter. Quickly! Cast a teleportation spell!" From the flash of her horn and snap of a blue smoke bomb, she quickly teleported herself and the wicked dragon statue out of the dark castle room and out to a location that she was certain nobody would ever find them.

End of Prologue


	2. Chapter 1: Searching for the Talismans

Chapter 1: Searching for the Talismans

"Good morning Twilight," Spike said looking down at purple mare who was still in bed. "Glad you're finally up." "Uhhhhhhhh, morning already?..." Twilight moaned with her eyes only halfway open. One can only imagine how exhausted she was from all the action that went on in just one day. Making a fool of herself before she exposed the fake Candance, fighting off an army of changelings, attending a wedding ceremony along with the reception and after party. It was a lot to take in, and the only thing Twilight Sparkle wanted was a day to herself for relaxing in the library. "I find it hard to believe that you're up before me, Spike." Twilight said. "Yeah, it does feel weird being the first one up," Spike said with a shrug. "But at least we have the whole day to ourselves. First we can cook breakfast, then sit outside and watch the birds later today, then take a nice long walk before dinner- oh no, I feel a letter coming!" Spike said all the sudden. Before he could go on any further about his plans for the day, Spike started to feel the urge in his mouth to let out a huge burp. He let a stream of green fire which turned in to a scroll with a gold hoof insignia. "It's gotta be from the Princess." Spike guessed. "Here you go, Twilight." he said while handing her the letter. It read:

To my faithful student Twilight,

I would like to thank you and your friends once again for saving Canterlot yesterday. However, it seems that not all bad things have come to an end just yet. Meet me in the castle throne room, and I'll explain everything there. By the time you're done reading this, my men should already be outside your door with a chariot ready for escort. -Princess Celestia

"Oh no! This can't be good!" Twilight panicked. Before she could overreact anymore, a knock at the door was heard. "I'll get it." Spike said as he hurried over to the door. "We're here for Ms. Twilight Sparkle," the royal guard said "Is she here?" "I'm coming, I'm coming." Twilight said while running down the stairs with her saddlebag. "Our highness requires your presence at once," the guard continued. "Come along please and bring anything you think is necessary." Twilight glanced back at Spike with a smile and nodded her head to him which showed that she wanted him to come with her. "He did say anything, so I guess that includes anyone as well." she said. "Alright, let's do this!" Spike exclaimed with enthusiasm. "To Canterlot!"

It only took about 10 minutes for the chariot to eventually make its way to the Canterlot Castle entrance. As they were walking down the path to the castle doors, Twilight leaned down to whisper in Spike's ear. "Remember Spike, don't show any sign of disinterest no matter what it is she wants." she warned. "I know we both want the day off, but anything the Princess asks for is always top priority." "Understood, Twilight." Spike said with a wink. As they appeared in throne room, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were already waiting and they both looked a bit more relieved that Twilight showed up. "Thank for very much for being here, Twilight." Celestia said with a bit of a smile. "I am very glad you could make it here as quickly as you did. I know it hasn't been long since our battle against the changelings, but all of Equestria could be in grave danger if we do not act soon enough." Twilight didn't even bother to ask what the problem was since she knew the Princess well enough that asking frivolous questions could sometimes come off as disrespect. "I'll do whatever it is you ask for, your highness." Twilight stated.

"It was only about a year after my sister and I sealed away Discord that an evil dragon descended from a portal leading into our world." Princess Luna said. "Luckily for us, it was already in a petrified coiled up state in which it could not harm us. Not only did we detect magic from another world, but we were able to sense something very dark within. We took no chances with the demonic dragon statue, so we extracted its magic which took on the forms of twelve talismans. They were scattered all across Equestria, and each of these stones contains the depiction of a different animal." Princess Celestia rolled out a scroll which contained twelve octagon shapes that each contained a picture of a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. "I have ascertained that these animal signs indicate a unique power to each of the talismans." Celestia continued where Luna left off. "Unfortunately, I do not know what those powers are, and I do not know the exact location of each one. Thank goodness though there is a way to detect each of the different talismans, but it will require patience for each one. To ensure safety in our land, we also sealed the dragon away in one of our chambers where it could not unleash any of its powers, and we also put a spell on the door that cannot be penetrated by dark magic." Celestia stopped to catch a long breath, while Twilight could tell that there was more on the Princess' mind. "Your highness," Twilight asked with concern. "Is everything going to be alright?" "I know this might sound very ironic to you," Celestia said "But even after all these years, we do not even know the dragon's name. When Luna and I extracted the talismans, the dragon screamed in anger which indicated that it was still alive, despite the fact that it was a statue. We interrogated the dragon as much as we could but it refused to talk after what we did to the talismans.

Twilight felt a bit more relieved as she started to think that all the trouble she came here for was to help Princess Celestia identify the dragon's name. "No worries," Spike interjected. "I'm a dragon myself so I'll do everything I can to make it talk or else I'll give it a piece of Spike!" "I applaud your enthusiasm Spike," Luna replied. "But I'm afraid the real reason you two are here is because the dragon is missing." Twilight and Spike froze in fear at the same time, both of them realizing a quest would be coming up very shortly. "That wasn't all that we discovered last night," Luna resumed. "During my night watch, one of my personal guards went to his post to guard the chamber, but then he noticed a light coming from behind the door. When he opened to check inside, the room's torches were lit up and the dragon statue was no where to be found." "Which leads to only one conclusion," Celestia said sounding a bit agitated. "An intruder got in to the castle and discovered this room while the wedding reception was going on. It's the only possible time it could happen since no guards were on duty during the reception and after party. Additionally, whoever took the dragon statue with them could be in grave danger. There's no telling what could happen since the dragon is no longer in the room that suppressed its dark magic."

So what should I do first? Twilight asked sounded a bit more hopeless than earlier. "There's a lot to take in and I'm not sure where to start." "I have an idea, but first let's get you back to the chariot where the guards wait." said Celestia. When Twilight and Spike were escorted by the princess, Celestia said. "It would be safer to track down the talismans first before you confront either the interloper or the dragon. "In the meantime I will find a locator spell to indicate the first talisman. When I do, I'll send you a letter with further details." "Thank you your highness, I won't let you down!" said Twilight as she was getting ready to board the chariot with Spike. "And Twilight." Celestia said. "Yes?" asked Twilight. "Remember that your friends are always there for you, and don't do anything reckless." With those last words of advice, Twilight and Spike departed on their chariot back to the Ponyville library.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned facade townhouse in the slums of Manehattan, Trixie had been getting settled in with her new hideout that she teleported Shendu inside; they knew they needed a place where no pony would bother to go. At the same time, she did not want to be too far from civilization. "What kind of strange place is this?" Shendu asked sounding a bit confused. "It's very filthy and dark for a place that looks somewhat inhabitable." "This was the best I could think of, Shendu." replied Trixie. "I had an uncle that used to rent rooms to other ponies, but after a couple umm... bad decisions, he fled from Manehattan and never came back to check in. Obviously, none one on his lease wanted to live in a townhouse with no water and electricity, which is why it's in a bit of a mess." "The cleaning can wait for now; I have to admit you're more cunning than I thought, Trixie. One that lurks in the shadows is more likely to stay undetected." Shendu complimented.

"This is only the beginning of our operation." Trixie said in return. "There are also some connections I have here in Manehattan that my uncle knew very well back in the day. Because he always had a good relationship with them, I know they will gladly serve as my enforcers and search all of Equestria for the talismans." "Very good to see that's covered." said the demonic dragon. "But make sure that you do not draw too much attention when you come and go from this residence." "Rest assured, Shendu. Our mission is becoming much more promising the more I put my mind to it." said Trixie as she walked out of Shendu's room.

As Trixie quietly walked out the townhouse entrance, making sure that no one saw her, she growled to herself "I will make sure no other pony gets in my way of domination. Not even that wretched Twilight Sparkle!..."

End of Chapter 1


	3. Chapter 2: Here Comes the Dark Hoof

Chapter 2: Here Comes the Dark Hoof

It was already high noon, and both Twilight and Spike had not heard anything back from Princess Celestia. The purple unicorn was pacing in circles as she worried that someone else might have already found the Rooster talisman. "The clock is ticking. The clock, is, ticking!" Twilight kept saying to herself. "Snap out of it, Twilight!" Spike said trying to give Twilight more comfort to her mind. "Princess Celestia has never let us down, and we should -urp!" Spike burped out a green flame, which then turned in to a scroll. "I hope it's from the Princess!" Twilight said, quickly opening the letter.

Dear Twilight,

The first talisman, which bares the image of a rooster, is located somewhere in Ponyville where a weather vane resides. I wish I knew the exact location, but I'm confident that you'll find it. Be very careful Twilight. There could be dark forces on the move as we speak. -Princess Celestia

"That's one less thing to worry about," said Spike. "As long as it's in Ponyville, we'll find it in no time!" "I wouldn't get too overconfident," Twilight said. "We could be facing some tough opposition, so we can't let our guard down. But without further to do, Spike; it's time to find the talisman!" The duo had officially started what was going to be a difficult and unforgettable quest.

Things were also getting interesting with Trixie and her new affiliates in Manehattan. "So glad that the three of you could make it." Trixie said to the odd looking earth ponies. She turned around to look over at Shendu, whom was probably the real center of attention within the group. "Shendu, I present to you my uncle's three best enforcers: Finn, Ratso, and Chow." Finn was an average sized pony with a slicked back red mane, a white coat, green eyes, and had a disco ball for a cutie mark. He even wore a gold medallion around his neck to look spiffy. Ratso was a somewhat bigger pony with a dark gray mane, a light gray coat, and red eyes. Despite his ghoulish appearance, Ratso had a teddy bear cutie mark which didn't seem to make sense to anyone else. He also had a white bandage across his muzzle for unknown reasons. Chow was the only one amongst the three enforcers that was a little below average height for a stallion, but his looks and attitude compensated for his size. He had a short black mane, a dark gray coat, and wore yellow prescription sunglasses. His cutie mark looked exactly like the sunglasses he wore. Chow lowered his sunglasses as his way of greeting Shendu, which revealed his brown colored eyes. "Does she really think the statue's alive?" Finn whispered, sounding a bit concerned for Trixie's sanity. "I think she even talks to it." Ratso whispered back to Finn. "Don't think I can't hear you over there!" Shendu yelled, catching the enforcers off guard. "You are in the presence of a demon sorcerer, and it would be very wise for all of you not to underestimate my power." "Okay Shendude, we're all ears." Finn panicked, still in stock from the dragon's anger. Chow and Ratso were way too freaked out to comment.

"I found Shendu locked in one of Princess Celestia's chambers in Canterlot Castle, which means that he was kept in there for a very good reason." said Trixie. "After a detailed discussion of his origins, Shendu has entrusted that we search for his twelve talismans, so that we can then be rewarded the lost treasure of Chin Sheewong. If that's not enough to persuade you, I will even help cover your travel expenses," said Trixie. "Matter of fact, here are some year-long boarding passes each of you can use to travel on any express train in Equestria. Believe me, you will need these to make the search easier." "Thanks for the tickets," Ratso said while fidgeting his hooves. "But shouldn't you also invest in housekeeping and-" "Oof!" Finn and Chow punched Ratso in the chest before he could ask anymore stupid questions. "Yes I'm aware of the living conditions, but we still have priorities." Trixie continued. "I'm confident that you'll be able to find what we need before anyone else gets in the way." Another thought came in to Trixie's head after a quick glance of her henchmen. "With your help, my leadership, and Shendu's treasure, we can also revive what was lost before and bring back the Dark Hoof!" "Now you're talkin' Great T" Finn said, sounding much happier. "We could bring back the greatest crime syndicate that we used to be in!" Chow exclaimed. "But for now you all will need to keep a low profile." Shendu said in response to Chow. "Once I am out of my prison, you are all free to do as you wish with your so-called crime syndicate. The first talisman is located in Ponyville where young fillies and colts gather." "You heard the dragon, so get to it!" Trixie commanded. "We're on it, great and powerful T." Finn answered. Having said that, the enforcers embarked on their way to the nearest train station.

Meanwhile, the heroes continued their search for the first talisman, only to be disappointed with how long their search has been. "We have to keep looking for any house or building with a weather vane on the roof." Twilight said. "But that's just about every place in Ponyville." said Spike. "We've been at it for hours, and I'm beginning to think that we're going in circles." As much as it pained Twilight to hear Spike's observation, she knew he was right. Just about every single business, home, apartment, etc. had a weather vane on the rooftop. They were also getting close to the Ponyville Schoolhouse, when Spike had a thought come to him. "I really think we should ask our friends to help out on this." he said. "The Princess even suggested that earlier today." "Yeah, you're right Spike. I shouldn't have been too hasty from the get go. For all the other talismans, I promise I'll let Applejack, Rarity, and-" "Um, Twilight" Spike interrupted. "I hate to cut you off, but we've got company!" Twilight and Spike were only a couple feet away from the schoolhouse when they saw three ponies that looked very out of place. "You guys must be new around here, can I help you?" Twilight asked.

"As a matter of fact, you can." Finn answered back. "You must be Twilight Sparkle. I heard many things about you, and just so happened to overhear you talking to your baby dragon about talismans." "What interest do you have in them anyway?" Twilight responded. It was blatantly obvious to Twilight and Spike that the shady stallions were not there to become allies. "I'm only gonna ask you once, Sparkle. Where's the talisman?" Finn asked with a more impatient voice. "I don't have it, and I don't know where it is." Twilight snapped. "Very well, have it your way" Finn replied. "Ratso, Chow, let's nail her!" "Spike, keep searching while I keep these guys distracted." said Twilight, while she prepared to defend herself. "I'm on it." said Spike.

Twilight's first instinct was simply just to run; exactly what she did anyway. The enforcers pursued after her until they all got to the school playground. Twilight yelled out to all the young pony children "No more playtime, get in the building!" All of the children, confused and startled, fled in to the schoolhouse as soon as they saw Twilight's pursuers She did not want to severely hurt the assailants, but at the same time she knew she still had to defend herself. Finn was the first one to go in for the attack, running at Twilight with a head charge. Quickly prepared, Twilight kicked over a nearby crate of dodge balls that all rolled towards Finn. The red haired brute stumbled upon the mess of dodge balls and fell flat on his face. Ratso and Chow charged in at the same time towards the witty unicorn. Twilight ran again, and lured both of them through a swing set. As soon as the two slow-minded enforcers got close enough, Twilight used her unicorn magic to tangle up Ratso and Chow in the swings. While Spike continued to look around the schoolhouse; avoiding the action going on between Twilight and the enforcers, something caught his attention very fast. On top of the bell tower of the schoolhouse, Spike gazed at a weather vane with a rooster silhouette baring an octagon shaped rock. No doubt about it, Spike was absolutely certain that it was the Rooster talisman. With a determined look in his eye, Spike proceeded to climb the back of the schoolhouse to make his way to the top of the bell tower.

Twilight still continued to defend herself, thinking of any means necessary to bide enough time for Spike to obtain the talisman. Some of her magic techniques on balls and jump ropes were quite affective and entertaining at the same time; even the young colts and fillies inside the schoolhouse watched in amazement as Twilight used all kinds of playground equipment to her advantage. After enough humiliation, the trio surrendered the fight. "Let's get outta here!" Finn cried out, while they fled the scene. Once the enforcers were no where to be scene, all of the young ponies inside the school came out the front door and cheered for Twilight as they circle around her. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were also among the children that showed even greater enthusiasm. "That was some radical butt whooping you did, Twilight!" Scootaloo complimented. "You made it look so darn easy, how'd ya do it?" Apple Bloom asked. "You didn't even throw a punch or a kick!" Sweetie Belle said. Twilight happily looked at her filly friends and gave them strong words of advice. "When I was your age, my best mentor taught me that sometimes, the greatest battle is never fought." Twilight noticed from a distance Spike holding on to something as he got down from the school building "Twilight, I got it, I got it! Spike said hustling over through the crowd. As Spike held the object in his claw, Twilight couldn't believe that she was already feasting her eyes upon the Rooster talisman. "That was very brave of you to climb for that, Spike." Twilight said. "But we need to get back home before we draw anymore attention." The young ponies waved goodbye as Twilight and Spike hurried back to the library.

When the Dark Hoof enforcers arrived back to their small headquarters, the self-important mare was not amused at all with the bad report. "So what you're telling me is that my uncle's three best enforcers, who have years and years of crime experience, were defeated singled-hoofed by one measly mare?" Trixie questioned as she look at her henchmen with a condescending glare. "She ain't no ordinary unicorn, great T." Finn pleaded. "She's really good with magic, we didn't stand a chance!" Chow whined in embarrassment. Trixie nodded with a curt expression. "Tohru!..." Shortly after Trixie called out an unfamiliar name, loud footsteps were heard throughout the hideout, and then a gigantic earth pony appeared before the enforcers. He was a cream coated stallion with his black mane tied in to a short ponytail, and had a grape soda cutie mark underneath his brown overalls; his slanted eyes gave him a more serious and intimidating look. Each of the enforcers was speechless when they looked up at who was mostly liked the biggest pony in all of Equestria. "Whoa..." Ratso said, feeling inferior to the giant. Without even saying a word, Tohru bear hugged Finn, Ratso, and Chow between his two front hooves, squeezing them tight for two seconds, and then dropped all three of them at once to the floor "Tohru, bring me the talisman." Trixie said with a stern look. "While your Tohru does impress me," Shendu commented. "I shall also aid you and your men with my own servants, the Shadowkahn..." Slowly but surely, a group of black clad figures slowly materialized from the shadows. What really freaked everyone out in the room about these beings was that they were not ponies. They were creatures that stood on two legs, making them at least two feet taller than an average sized pony. Their eyes had a red gaze just like Shendu, and each one had their mouth concealed by a face mask. "Very well." said Trixie. "And Tohru. Should you happen to meet our friend Twilight Sparkle... eliminate her." "Yes master." Tohru answered.

Back in the library, Twilight and Spike rummaged through book after book until they both looked like they were about to pass out from boredom. The moon was already up in the sky, and Twilight had made no progress on discovering the magic of the Rooster talisman. "I don't understand what any of this means," said Twilight, confused and stressed. "I can't find anything all about about these strange markings on the back of the talisman." "Do you think anyone can translate it for us?" Spike asked. "I highly doubt it, Spike. There isn't anybody in Equestria that could..." Twilight paused for a brief moment when she had a mental breakthrough all the sudden. "That's it! Spike, the only one that can understand these symbols is the creator of the talismans, the dragon demon!" As Twilight hurried upstairs to write a letter, Spike caught a glimpse of fast movement outside the window through his peripheral vision. "Um, Twilight. I know this might sound weird, but I think we're being watched from outside." Spike said, getting nervous. "Don't worry Spike, it's probably an owl or a bat that flew by." Twilight said, with her attention on writing back to the princess. "I dunno, I got a bad feeling about this." said Spike, feeling even more frightened. "Alright, Spike." Twilight said walking back down the stairs. "I'll just take a quick look around to show there are- WHAT IN EQUESTRIA!?" After Twilight opened the front door, both her and the baby dragon were scared stiff when they looked outside to see 10 Shadowkhan ninjas surrounding the library. To make things worse, the gigantic Tohru stood about 20 feet away across from Twilight. "The talisman!" Tohru demanded. "Spike, stay inside! I'll deal with the big one." Twilight ordered. "Just don't let any of those fiends get in." "Understood." said Spike. "When Spike closed the door, Twilight stepped outside and created a magical barrier that covered the entire library. Spike knew that he needed to hide the talisman somewhere safe so in case the ninjas got in, they wouldn't find it. With his dragons wits, he got a clever idea and swallowed the talisman.

As the Shadowkhan continuously attempted to break through the barrier, Twilight was left to face off against Tohru. "Rargh!" Tohru roared as he charged full speed ahead, but Twilight acted fast. She used her telekinesis on a nearby wooden wheelbarrow to intercept Tohru, hoping that it would knock him to the ground. To Twilight's surprise, the brute smashed through the wheelbarrow without breaking a sweat, and he even gave a cocky smirk at Twilight. Tohru had also gotten close enough to where he was in reaching distance to grab the unicorn. His movements were also very fast, even for a pony his size, that he got a hold of Twilight's neck before she could react quickly enough. The size of Tohru's hooves and the strength of his bear hug put Twilight in a serious bind that she could not maintain the magic barrier, causing it to subside. The Shadowkhan quickly broke in, forcing Spike to move fast on his feet as he did everything he could to avoid getting caught. When the ninjas cornered the baby dragon where he couldn't run anywhere else, Spike's survival instincts kicked in. "Stop!" Spike yelled when all the sudden, a surge of energy fired up in his stomach, and every single black ninja in the library was suspended in the air. Spike found it hard to believe that he stopped the Shadowkhan with his mind; nevertheless, he used his new levitation powers to slam the ninjas in to the ground. Poof! Each of them vanished into dust, and Spike was in no more danger. "Oh no! Twilight! She needs my help!" Spike panicked. He got outside to see the horror of his master getting crushed in Tohru's grasp. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Spike murmured as he prepared to use his telekinesis on the assailant. Tohru looked around in confusion, and noticed that he was levitated into the air. In the meantime, Twilight had used this opportunity to slip from the clutches of her enemy before getting too far from the ground. "He's big, I can't hold on much longer..." Spike said as his eyes were straining from all the pressure. To make the best of the situation, Spike hurled Tohru away from the perimeter of the library, and sent him flying in to a market stand, landing with a loud crash. "Ughhhh..." Tohru moaned and eventually passed out.

"Twilight! Twilght! Are you alright!" Spike cried out. "Wow, I didn't know you could use magic." Twilight said as she laid on the ground. "Actually, I think it was the talisman that gave me those powers." Spike answered back. "I swallowed it so that the bad guys couldn't find it anywhere else." Spike helped Twilight get to her bed since she could barely stand after wrestling with Tohru. "We need to get you to Ponyville Hospital, those injuries look very severe." Spike said with great concern. "I'll contact Applejack and Big Macintosh to help get you over there tomorrow." "We also need to get that talisman out of your belly." Twilight joked. "I don't think the Princess wants to have a magic rock inside a baby dragon." Twilight looked up at the ceiling and then looked over to her companion. "You've been right the whole time about one thing." Twilight said to Spike. "What's that, Twilight?" Spiked curiously asked. "Friends really do make a difference." Twilight said with a smile, before she passed out on the bed.

End of Chapter 2

Edit: Mistakes were corrected in the previous version, credit goes to gamelover41592 for helping me

Note: I thought it would be okay to use pony versions of the enforcers from JCA, since the human world and Equestria are like two sides of the same coin. Hope you're all enjoying this fanfic! : )


	4. Chapter 3: Strengths and Weaknesses

Chapter 3: Strengths and Weaknesses

It was a brand new day for Twilight, and she was very glad to be out of Ponyville Hospital. Twilight had learned her lesson from yesterday, which was to allow her five best friends to aid her in the search for the talismans. This time, she called in her favorite country mare, Applejack, and her sister, Apple Bloom. "It's mighty fine of ya to invite us to help find the, uh... whatchamacallit." "The Ox talisman." Twilight answered. "Princess Celestia already has the Rooster talisman kept safe in Canterlot Castle." "How's the little guy doin' anyway? I thought he was gonna be with ya." Applejack commented. "Spike is still in the hospital because his stomach was pumped." Twilight said. "He swallowed the talisman which actually helped us beat these bad guys last night." "Hey, at least ya'll have me to help out!" Apple Bloom said with excitement. "Listen sugar cube, the only reason we're letting ya come to Appleloosa is to see Braeburn and other family and friends." Applejack stated. "I know you want to be heroic, but this is a very dangerous mission." Twilight warned. "We also need to make sure we're not being followed." As soon as the train arrived, the three ponies boarded and got settled in to their seats.

Shortly after, the Dark Hoof had just arrived to the platform on time to board the train. "I'm getting sick of trains, can't we just teleport like Trixie does to make things faster?" Ratso complained. "Earth to Ratso, we're NOT unicorns, we are earth ponies." Finn snapped. "Quiet you two" Tohru barked. "We have only one task, which is to claim the Ox talisman. We will use whatever means we can, so make the best of it!" As the enforcers boarded the train, Tohru looked around to make sure there were no unwanted guests. "You three should go on to the front car. I will stay in this area." Tohru suggested. "What's the deal, big T? We have first class year long tickets, and you're choosing to sit in coach?" Finn asked, wondering what the deal was with their lieutenant. "I sense there's rats near by." Tohru said sounding more serious. "We'll leave you to it then." said Chow. With that, Finn, Ratso, and Chow moved on to the first class car. As Tohru made himself comfortable in the back seats, he did not realize Applejack was eavesdropping on the short conversation. "Um, Twilight." whispered Applejack, nudging her friend. "I think we have some trouble near by." Twilight looked down the aisle while keeping her head low. "That's him." Twilight whispered back. "He's the one that attacked me at the library." "I also heard his other lackies call him by his name, which I think is Tohru." said Applejack. "Tohru... I'll remember that." said Twilight. To avoid being seen, Twilight concealed herself with a blanket and pillow whenever Tohru was nearby.

The entire train ride took only a few hours to arrive to the destination; although the only tricky part was getting Twilight off the train without being seen by the Dark Hoof. Applejack and Apple Bloom waited until everyone else was out of their car, and then they walked together while carrying a wrapped and tied piece of luggage inside a blanket. They looked around to make sure the coast was clear. "That was a mighty fine idea ya had, Apple Bloom." Applejack said to her younger sister. "Aw it was nuthin'." Apple Bloom said, being modest. They untied and unwrapped the blanket, which was actually Twilight the whole time. "Huff.. huff... are they gone? Twilight asked, catching her breath." "Yep, ain't none of them in sight." said Apple Bloom. "C'mon, we should head over to see my cousin Braeburn." Applejack said. The three ponies already had an idea of how to navigate the old-western town, but there had been some changes for the better. The last time they visited Appleloosa, there was serious tension between the settlers and the buffalo tribe regarding the apple orchards. With the help of the Twilight and friends, the ponies and buffalo made amends and have lived in harmony. While Twilight and the apple sisters were coming close to the middle of town, straight ahead they saw cousin Braeburn with another familiar face, Little Strongheart. "Howdy cuz!" Applejack greeted. "Well I'll be darned, it's my apple cousins and Twilight!" Braeburn said in excitement. "I know this is going to sound a bit strange to you." Twilight said. "But we're on a mission to find something very valuable." "Valuable huh? We should probably discuss this in private." Little Strongheart suggested. "I recommend we go to Braeburn's place." "That will work, thanks for the offer." said Twilight.

The whole gang made it to Braeburn's living quarters where they were free to discuss anything without being bothered. "Little Strongheart, do you or your father know the whereabouts of the Ox talisman?" Twilight asked. "I have not seen or heard of anything like that." Strongheart replied. "However, I believe there is one individual that might have something similar to what you're describing." "Who do ya think would have it then?" asked Applejack. Braeburn got up from the dining room table to fetch a flier that was laying in his bedroom. "I think this is who Strongheart is talking about." Braeburn said. "This is the Appleloosa hoof wrestling champion." "Wait a sec, that's Iron Will!" said Twilight. Out of anyone in Appleloosa that could have the talisman, she would have never thought the boisterous minotaur would have it. "I remember that crazy bull." Applejack said. "Rarity told me that he messed with Fluttershy's head and said all this nonsense about not being a doormat, and making every pony listen to you, and other hogwash."

"Look here, I found something." said Twilight. She held up the poster for everyone in the room to see, and sure enough, there was a blue ox emblem in the middle of Iron Will's belt. "Just as my father thought, he IS using magic." Strongheart said, feeling a bit angry. "So far Iron Will has not lost a single match since he arrived in our town." Braeburn said in a hopeless voice. "There's rumors going on that Chief Thunderhooves is afraid to challenge him." "I don't believe that one bit!" Strongheart assertively stated. "It's true that my father refused to face him in a hoof wrestle. However, I know for a fact it wasn't out of fear, but because he knows Iron Will is winning with an unfair advantage." "Then there's one conclusion I can make." said Twilight. "The ox talisman is giving him super strength to take out his opponents." "I'm with you on that, Twili, and there's only one way to find out." replied Applejack. "I'm going to challenge Iron Will to a hoof wrestle I don't expect to win, but we need to convince him to give us the talisman-" "Before our enemies get to him first." Twilight cut in. "I have an idea." Strongheart said. "Applejack, during your match against Iron Will, Twilight should use that chance to get the belt off his waist. Braeburn will stay here to watch Apple Bloom." "Aww... but I wanna watch!" Apple Bloom complained. "Look sugar cube, this ain't a rodeo or a game." Applejack said. "This is serious business and we need to get this done without drawing too much attention." "Alright..." sighed Apple Bloom." "The tournament starts at 6:00 tonight, so we need to be there on time." said Braeburn. "I wish I could help more, but I need to get back to the buffalo camp." Strongheat said. "Twilight, I wish the best for you and your friends." "We'll do everthing we can." said Twilight. Little Strongheart gave her last goodbyes and left the group.

As the day got closer to dusk, Twilight and Applejack managed to get to the saloon without anything stopping them. There was already a good crowd of tough looking buffalo and stallions ready to take on the champion in the hoof wrestling weekly tournament. "I'm very surprised we haven't run in to Tohru and his cronies since we got here." Applejack commented. "You're right, it almost seems too easy." Twilight said. "I'm ready for them to arrive any minute since they probably know where to look." "Here he comes." said Applejack. Everybody's attention turned to Iron Will as he walked through the saloon doors, each of them anxious to see whom his first challenger would be. "It's time for everybody's favorite weekly event: the Iron Hoof Wrestle Gauntlet!" Iron Will shouted. "As the current champion, each and every one of you has the chance to challenge me tonight. The matches will keep going until either someone defeats me or when there's nobody left that wants to compete. So now, the first challenger, please step up!" "I'll be your first opponent." Applejack said standing up to the mohawk haired minotaur. Everyone in the room except Twilight looked at Applejack in disbelief, thinking that she had lost it completely. "Then it's settled. The orange blonde pony will be my first victim." Iron Will boasted.

While Applejack and Iron Will were getting settled in at the table, outside the saloon the Dark Hoof enforcers were coming close to the doors, eager to see what was going on inside. "I hope they got happy hour on cider tonight." Ratso said feeling like a kid in a candy store. "We're all the way out in a desert town and all you can think of is drinking!?" Finn said, shaking his head. "Hold on a sec fellas. I think we may have found a clue." said Chow as he and Tohru peaked through the window of the saloon. Chow's attention was fixed on Applejack and Iron Will, while Tohru saw Twilight spectating the match. "Alright big T, when you give the signal, Ratso and I will nail the purple gal." said Finn feeling overconfident to knock out Twilight. "No, we are not going inside. Sparkle does not have the talisman." Tohru said. "Well then who does?" Finn asked impatiently. "Him." Tohru responded, pointing his hoof at Iron Will." "We should probably just wait for him to come out when he's alone." Chow commented. "I'm with you on that." said Ratso. The four bad guys saw a dark alley way to hide in so that they wouldn't be seen.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Iron were just seconds away from duking it out. "On your mark, get set, go!" the bartender exclaimed. While Applejack and Iron Will were both dead even in the center, a white light started to glow around the edges of the Ox indention, and eventually the front of the talisman beamed from the front of Iron Will's belt. In the blink of an eye, Iron Will slammed down Applejack's hoof so fast she thought the table was going to break. "The winner! Iron Will!" the bartender proudly announced, raising the minotaur's hand. "I know he cheated." Applejack muttered as she walked away in anger. "Using the opportunity, Twilight attempted to undo Iron Will's belt with her magic as he proudly stood in front of his audience. "Thank you for all your support. Without my fans and friends, I would still be- what the-!?" Iron Will shifted his attention behind him as he felt his belt trying to undo itself. It also didn't take long for him to notice Twilight's horn glowing the same sparkly color around his belt. "So, we have ourselves a thief trying to get my belt!" Iron Will shouted at Twilight. As he started to approach Twilight, Applejack intervened. "You keep your hideous hands away from my friend." Applejack barked. "And while you're here, let's have a rematch WITHOUT yer belt on!" "You're telling Iron Will what to do?" Iron Will snapped, who then proceeded to laugh in amusement. "You're out of your league, missy" he bragged. "Iron Will never removes his belt! Everyone in here, you can thank the thief and the sore loser for making me angry. I'm leaving tonight just because of their sourpuss attitudes!" After making his final speech, the champion left the saloon. "We still need to talk him into giving up the talisman." said Twilight. "Easier said than done, his ego is bigger than his brain." Applejack stated.

As Iron Will was walking down the empty town street, the enforcers came out of hiding and approached the already agitated bull. "Bravo, Iron Will, bravo!" Finn said, faking his applause. "That was one heck of a match you had in there, and we just wanted a few words with you. Iron Will, meet Tohru. Tohru, meet Iron Will. Iron Will; Tohru. Tohru; Iron Will. Tohru shoved Finn out of the way so he could cut to the chase about the talisman. "The belt, hand it over." Tohru commanded to Iron Will. "I'm only gonna tell you this once before I get really angry." Iron Will said, getting even more ticked off. "Iron Will never removes his belt!" "Then I will remove it for you!" Tohru responded. As Tohru tried to snatch the belt off of Iron Will's waist, the bull raised his hand to stop the big pony, grabbed Tohru by the neck, and threw him like a small rock in to wheelbarrow of hay. "Holy cow! No one nails Tohru!" Ratso said in shock "Keep the belt, we're outta here!" Chow said as the three enforcers ran to help Tohru.

The commotion caused enough disturbance for Twilight and Applejack to come quickly out in the open area. As Iron Will dusted his hands off, Twilight approached him. "Listen, I know you're still in a hot mood, but more of those guys are after your talisman." Twilight said. "Talisman? What talisman?" Iron Will said, playing dumb. "The one on your belt that you use to cheat!" Applejack snapped. "Oh, you mean this. It gives me good luck, that's all." said Iron Will, still feigning ignorance. "We know what the talisman does, and if you don't let us help you, more bad guys will come after you one after another." Twilight warned. "So please Iron Will, give us the talisman and we promise not to bother you again." "That's nonsense." Iron Will quickly said dismissing Twilight's plea. "I pity the fool that crosses Iron Will!" "Well you'd better look again." Applejack insisted.

Before anymore trash talk could be said, everyone got silent as Shadowkhan ninjas came out of the alleys and from the rooftops. There were at least 20 of them, which was more than the first encounter back in Ponyville. "Um, Twili, you got any ideas?" Applejack nervously asked. Before the unicorn could come up with a plan, Iron Will was already eager for a fight. "Bring it on!" Iron Will shouted at the top of his lungs. This initiated the Shadowkhan to attack all at once, but luckily for Iron Will he had backup. Applejack was very skilled in martial arts, and she easily dispatched of four ninjas at once. Twilight was more prepared this time, and fired magic beams from her unicorn; powerful enough to turn some of the Shadowkhan to dust one at a time. Iron Will also had no problem taking on ten enemies at a time, only because he was still wearing the Ox talisman. Unfortunately for him, a sly ninja came out of no where with a grappling hook, and hurled it far enough to snag the front of Iron Will's belt. After a short struggle, the belt snapped off and got pulled back to the culprit. To make matters worse, the ninja then threw the talisman over to Tohru and the enforcers, who then made a run for it. With their mission complete, every single remaining Shadowkhan threw down a blue smoke bomb simultaneously. When the blue smoked cleared away, not a single ninja was in sight.

Iron Will could not believe what had just happened. He had lost his pride, his confidence, and most of all, his reputation. "Applejack is right, I am a fake." said Iron Will as he slumped down on a nearby bench. He looked at the ground thinking about how he never won a single hoof wrestle until he found the Ox talisman. Even though he had hands instead of hooves, he still didn't think he was strong for a minotaur. "It doesn't have to end this way." said Twilight. "As much as we all like to win, we also have to grow from our defeats." "Well said Twilight." said a familiar voice. "Apple Bloom? What in the hay are you doin' here!? I thought Braeburn was watchin' you?" Applejack asked, trying not to sound too angry. "Shoot, I got bored with that guy. As soon as he turned around, I took off." Apple Bloom said with a smirk. "Hey Iron Will, I found this on the ground!" Apple Bloom handed Iron Will his belt, but the humiliated bovine did not feel any better. "That won't help me now. Without the talisman, the belt's useless. And besides, I didn't earn it." said Iron Will. "Applejack, find Tohru and the others before they escape." Twilight instructed. "I'm on it, sugar cube!" Applejack greatly replied. "Count me in!" Apple Bloom interjected. "Alright Apple Bloom, you can help me out now, but just this once." Applejack said to her sister as they took off.

The Dark Hoof was just getting ready to board an incoming express train, only to be caught by the two Apple sisters. "Stop right there!" shouted Applejack. "You varmits have somethin' I want, and I'm takin' it back!" "Um, I think she's with Sparkle." Ratso assumed. "Get her!" Finn yelled. Finn, Ratso, and Chow charged at Applejack, not realizing how skilled she was at physical combat. Applejack dodged every single punch and kick they threw at her, and she would sometimes use her hat as a shield and decoy. After she gave the trio a good beating without breaking a sweat, Tohru was getting ready to attack her from behind. Luckily, Apple Bloom made a quick move by sprinting and snatching the talisman from Tohru's back pocket. "Grrr, give me that!" Tohru growled as he chased Apple Bloom. "Gotta catch me first!" Apple Bloom teased back at her chaser. Applejack also followed Apple Bloom, leaving the three enforcers dazed and stunned on the ground.

Iron Will continued to sit with Twilight, feeling depressed about losing his lucky talisman, when out of the blue Apple Bloom, Tohru, and Applejack came running to the scene. "Iron Will, I got something for ya!" Apple Bloom shouted to him. She threw the talisman over to Iron Will, who then caught it in his hand. "Keep the talisman. I've learned a very valuable lesson today thanks to Twilight." Iron Will said with confidence. "I would rather lose with dignity than win with deception." He threw it back to Apple Bloom, who was rather shocked with his reaction. "Okay, whatever you say." Apple Bloom shrugged. Applejack and Iron Will braced themselves while staring down Tohru for a hefty brawl. "Raargh!" Tohru yelled as he charged in with powerful swing from his right hoof. With incredible strength and speed, Tohru struck Applejack and Iron Will at the same, knocking them both in to the ground. As they both laid there, fatigued and worn out, Tohru boasted. "Now who's the mightiest?" "Wanna take a guess?" Apple Bloom taunted from behind. Tohru looked back and was shocked to see that Apple Bloom was wearing the Ox talisman in her bow. The filly jumped forward in the air, followed with a spinning back kick, and knocked Tohru in to the same smashed up wheelbarrow from before. "Ohhhh..." Tohru moaned as he passed out.

"Hey Applejack can I keep the-" "No!" Twilight and Applejack said at the same time. "We've got a late night train to catch, and we're takin' this sucker back to Canterlot as soon as possible." said Applejack. "And if you two want to, we could even stay the night in the castle." Twilight said, attempting to make Apple Bloom feel better. "I have the three of you to thank for tonight." said Iron Will. "From this moment on, I will compete with my own strength and skill." "I'm glad you've changed your ways." said Applejack. "I think you've got what it takes to become a real champion." Twilight complimented with a wink. The heroes bid their last goodbyes to Iron Will, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time they would visit Appleloosa.

End of Chapter 3


	5. Chapter 4: Snake Charming

Chapter 4: Snake Charming

Twilight started to get the hang of finding the talismans with the help of her trusted friends. In addition, she was also getting better at defending herself from the Dark Hoof. This time she was accompanied with timid but very kind friend Fluttershy, who could charm any animal with her power of kindness. They had been traveling through the small forest that would eventually lead them to Neighagra Falls. "So why exactly did you need me to come with you again?" Fluttershy asked. "Because you're the best when it comes to interacting with animals, and I need a pony that can communicate with the temple guardian, who happens to be a giant serpent." Twilight answered while she continued to push branches and bushes out of the way with her magic. "ME, talk to a big snake!?" Fluttershy gulped. "Princess Celestia believes that you are the only one that can convince the guardian to let us have the Snake talisman." said Twilight. "And besides, you already have experience with snakes back at your cottage." "That's true." Fluttershy said. "But they're innocent snakes that I've raised since they were born. I've never seen a big green scary one before." "You've talked down a fire breathing red dragon, so I'm sure this will be a piece of cake." said Twilight, trying her best to motivate her shy friend. "I guess so..." Fluttershy quietly said to herself. Eventually, the pair got to the river which was connected to a gigantic and powerful waterfall. "There it is, Neighagra Falls." Twilight said with admiration of the site. "If I remember correctly, the entrance somewhere behind the waterfall rapids." They were able to see the outline of a circle in the center of the waterfall, which indicated where they would need to enter. To make things easier, there was also a cliff edge starting at ground level that was wide enough for them to walk up together. It even lead all the way to the waterfall entrance. "Let's get inside before anyone sees us." Twilight insisted.

Twilight and Fluttershy managed to get inside the cave, but things weren't as they anticipated. "Hmm, not quite what I was expecting." Twilight said. "Me neither. Didn't Princess Celestia say that this was supposed to be a temple?" Fluttershy asked. "That is true, but from the way things look in here, this appears to be just an ordinary tunnel." Twilight and Fluttershy explored deeper in to the cave, which seemed to be only inhabited by rats. When they got to a dead end, Fluttershy saw an image on the wall. "Twilight, look!" she pointed out. Twilight looked up where her friend was pointing to, and sure enough there was what they though was the Snake talisman. "Hold on a sec, something's not right." Twilight observed. Twilight attempted to use her levitation magic to pull the talisman out of the wall. To her disappointment, it was actually a small painting of the talisman; not the real deal. "Darn it, it's not the real talisman." Twilight said, feeling bummed. "So you're looking for it to, aren't you?" a mare's voice asked from behind. "Yes we-" Twilight stopped herself from saying anything else when she realized they weren't alone. When Twilight and Fluttershy turned around, they were confronted by a pegasus pony wearing a pith helmet over her gray and black mane. "Wait a sec, she looks kind of familiar." Fluttershy said. "Oh my gosh, it's Daring Do!" Twilight squeaked like a fan girl. "I thought you were just a fictional character, but Rainbow Dash and I are your biggest fans! Can I please have your autograph!?" Since Daring Do was on her own agenda to get something she wanted, the adventurer was in no mood to talk about her fan base or her adventure novels. Daring Do was also known for her serious demeanor and her lone wolf personality, and this situation was no different. "Save the the chit chat for later, I need to get the snake talisman as soon as I can." Daring Do said. "Wait, how do you know about the talismans?" Twilight urgently asked. "I overheard my opposition talking about it. I don't have any real interest in this talisman thing, but the reason I'm after it is to prevent someone else from getting it." Daring Do explained. "And who would this other one be?" Twilight asked, raising one eyebrow. "My arch-nemesis Ahuizotl." Daring Do continued. "He's convinced that the talisman will make him more powerful. Too bad for him, he thinks it's in the jungle domain that he dwells in." "Oh thank goodness we won't be seeing him." Fluttershy said with relief.

"Then it's settled, let's look for the talisman!" Twilight declared. When Twilight turned around, she unexpectedly walked face first into what felt like another pony. When Twilight looked up, she was staring in to the eyes of her nemesis, Tohru. "The talisman!" the big brute demanded. "We don't have it, honest!" Twilight said. "I do not believe you!" Tohru sneered, as his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. "We'll be taking over from her." Finn said as he, Ratso, and Chow came walking in to the area. The enforcers, except for Tohru, were dressed up in safari attire, which made them seem less threatening at first glance. "You know these guys?" Daring Do asked. "Well, Twilight does, but I haven't met them before." said Fluttershy. "Just tell us where the talisman is and we'll take it easy on all you." Chow said in a patronizing tone. "Yeah right." Daring Do snapped back. "You're not getting anything from here!" "Then I guess we'll have to settle things the hard way." said Finn. "Get ready girls, it's time to fight!" Twilight declared. The battle royale was on; Daring Do against Finn and Chow, Fluttershy against Ratso, and Twilight against Tohru. Finn ran towards Daring Do, who then threw her pith helmet at the enforcer's legs, tripping him. Chow followed up and leaped for an attack, but Daring Do was prepared and back kicked Chow, launching him on top of Finn. Ratso chased after Fluttershy as she constantly kept trying to flee from him. Not looking carefully enough, Ratso crashed face first in to a stalagmite as tall as himself. "Oh my, I hope he's alright." Fluttershy said, feeling a tad bit sorry for him. With full force, Tohru thrusted his back legs at Twilight, who barely managed to dodge the attack. Tohru's force struck a big solid stalagmite, which caused a chain reaction to his body making him shake and tremble. The loud noise also woke up a swarm of bats that were sleeping inside a crevice. Angry and flustered, the bats flew in the direction of the cave entrance. The Dark Hoof except for Tohru made a run for it. Instead of fleeing from the scene, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Daring Do ducked down and stayed low on the ground. As for Tohru, he stood his ground, showing no fear as the bats flew past him. Finn, Ratso, and Chow jumped at the same time off the edge of the cave entrance and fell about 30 feet down in to the river. Tohru came walking out of the cave, with a cluster of bats covering his entire body. He shook off the bats and continued down the narrow pathway, feeling angry that their mission had been thwarted.

"Wow, glad that's over." Twilight said with relief. The three ponies stood back up and brushed the dirt off from their coats. Although the two friends were feeling cheerful, Daring Do did not even break a smile. "What a bunch of low life cowards! They're all the same; each and every one of them!" Daring Do sneered. 'Whoah, what's the big deal Daring Do?" Twilight asked; surprised that one of her favorite novel characters would be so hostile. "Why would you say such harsh things?" asked Fluttershy as she felt very intimidated by Daring Do's derogatory opinion. " I can read them like a book; I know first hand because of the enemies I've made in my adventures." Daring Do openly answered. "They're greedy and could care less about donating to a museum or sharing what they find. The only thing that matters to them is money and power." "You don't really know that about them." Twilight argued. "Because a stronger force is influencing those guys to find the talismans at all costs." "Honestly, they might be very nice deep down inside if they weren't after the talismans." Fluttershy said with more confidence in her belief. "Even the big one in their group seems very troubled." "I agree, Fluttershy." Twilight complimented. "It's obvious they're working for the demon that the princess told us about, so there's hope for them to change when this is all over. "I don't exactly catch everything you're saying, but fine, we're all entitled to our beliefs." Daring Do said. "I won't stop you from what you're here for. The talisman's all yours. I'm going now; goodbye." With that, the explorer walked out of the cave without looking back. "I feel sorry for her." Fluttershy grieved. "She shouldn't isolate herself like that. Don't you think we should-" "We have to keep looking for the talisman, Fluttershy." Twilight cut in. "I'm sorry, but it's the only way." "Right..." Fluttershy quietly acknowledged.

Daring Do continued down the rocky pathway leading back down to the river bank, but she still had a lot in the back of her mind. The things that Twilight and Flutteshy said were stuck in her head, and it was conflicting with her natural state of mind. "I have to admit, they do seem much friendlier than the average pony." Daring Do thought to herself. "But what difference does it make anyway, I work alone." As Daring Do got closer to the forest, she heard a bit of commotion behind some bushes. "Something's amidst. I'd better scope things out." she insisted. Daring Do hid behind an enormous willow tree and listened to the Dark Hoof as they sat around a fire. "You'd think that annoying Sparkle would've already had the talisman for us to take from her." said Chow. "Yeah, especially since she always seems to be one step ahead of us." Ratso complained. "I'm tired of getting washed up, no pun intended." "Hold on guys, I think the boss is buzzin' in." Finn said. He opened his saddlebag and pulled out a white vibrating orb. In the orb itself the face of Trixie appeared . "How are things coming along, Finn?" Trixie interrogated. "Oh you know, we're doin' a pretty super job, great and powerful T!" Finn lied. "Funny, it appears you idiots had to go swimming to get the snake talisman, judging by your wet clothes!" Trixie fired back. "Come on, Trix, if it wasn't for- hey!" Tohru picked up the orb from Finn's hooves and spoke to Trixie himself. "Rest assured, master. We will find the talisman before sunset by any means necessary." Tohru promised. Before Tohru continued his conversation, he stood on all fours and back kicked the willow Daring Do was hiding behind. Fortunately for her sake, the kick did not blow Daring Do's cover. "And I will break Twilight Sparkle!" Tohru sweared. Seeing Tohru's desire for revenge was not a pleasant feeling, and Daring Do got a small adrenaline rush from the tremendous force of Tohru striking the tree. She could not resist the urge to go back to Twilight and Fluttershy to give a fair warning. Although Daring Do didn't consider herself a friend to random strangers, she did not want to see good ponies get hurt. "I can't let those two get into trouble." Daring though to herself. "I'm going back!"

Twilight and Fluttershy continued their search in the cave, but the heroes did not make any further progress. They were going in circles and sometimes kept looking in spots they already scoped. "I just don't get it. Princesss Celestia's locator spell said the Snake talisman would be in this waterfall cave." Twilight said. "I know, but we've looked every inch of this place." said Fluttershy. "At this rate we'll never find it. If only we had-" "Mind if I lend a hoof?" a voice said. "Daring Do!?" Twilight and Fluttershy said at the same time. Daring Do was standing at the entrance looking at the two helpless ponies with a small polite smile. "Honestly, I can't just let you two struggle like this for one measly talisman." Daring Do joked. "But what made you come back, if you don't mind me asking?" Fluttershy inquired. "The words that came from both of you really got under my skin. That's something that rarely happens to me." Daring Do confessed. "But in order to look deep, sometimes you have to think outside the cave." Twilight's eyes perked open when the adventurer spoke those cryptic words. Daring Do firmly pressed her hoof on a flat rock. A crack in the cave wall opened up wide, and revealed a stone door with a painting of a green snake attempting to bite its own tail. "Over there." Daring Do pointed out. Twilight noticed a panel to the right and pushed it, allowing the door to slowly sink into the ground. "Follow me, we've got a talisman to hunt for." Daring Do enthusiastically said.

The trio walked through a hall with murals of snake imagery before they got to a round room with a big circle etched in the ground. "That looks like a secret entrance in the ground." Twilight examined. "The temple guardian obviously needs a large room to accompany his large size." The The ceiling was also very high up that it looked like the room was at least 50 feet tall. "That probably goes all the way up to the top of the waterfall." Daring Do ascertained. "So the temple does exist after all." Twilight said. "To think there would be so many thick vines in here." "Actually Twilight, I don't think they're vines." Fluttershy corrected. After listening closely, the group heard quiet hissing noises, and then looked up around the room. On top of pillars and other wall edges were green snakes. "Why... why did it have to be snakes." Daring Do muttered spitefully to herself." "Because thisss is our home, foolish mortal." a serpentine voice spoke back. "Who said that!?" Daring Do demanded. The stone emblem in the ground open up, and then a gigantic green snake came slithering out of the ground. The hole closed once the snake got out completely. The guardian was so gigantic that he could swallow a pony just like a regular snake could swallow a mouse. "I am the temple guardian of thisss hidden domain, and I already know why you're here." the giant snake said. "You ssseek the Sssnake talisman that has been protected by me for many years." "Yes your honor, we have been on a quest for all twelve talismans to stop a great evil from coming in to this world." Twilight answered. "That is a fine reason to gather them all, but I'm afraid I can't jussst hand mine over that easily." the guardian replied. "One of you will have to be proved worthy to claim sssuch an ancient power." Twilight looked over to Fluttershy, who already looked nervous. "It's up to you, Fluttershy. I know you can do it!" Twilight motivated. "However, should either of you two interfere or attempt to assist the challenger, you all will faccce sssevere consssequenccces." the snake warned. "I'm ready!" Fluttershy nodded. Twilight and Daring Do stepped over to the wall so that they wouldn't get too close to the action.

"Let us begin!" the guardian declared. The snake vanished suddenly which Fluttershy was not expecting at all. "He's using the power of the snake talisman." Twilight thought to herself. "I wish I could help but I'm forbidden to." The pink maned pony thought of one way to put the reptile in his place, but she knew that she would have to act at the right moment. Fluttershy's ears twitched as she listened to the movements of the snake's body slithering on the ground and around the walls and pillars. Sometimes she could even see specs of dirt and debris vibrate, which gave her clues to which direction he might come from. "Now die!" the invisible snake shouted with fangs bared in his open mouth. Right at the very moment the guardian went for the attack, Fluttershy pivoted to her right and flared her eyes which gave off her trademarked move, The Stare. The giant snake instantly materialized back and froze in fear as soon as he become visible again. Daring Do and Twilight could not believe what they were witnessing. "No way! She won!" Daring Do said. "I don't understand." the snake thought to himself, in bewilderment as he stayed locked in position. "I could easily devour her right now, but... those eyes... they make me feel numb and powerless!" The snake relaxed and took a deep breath, and then Fluttershy yielded her stare. "Well done, noble pony. I can sssee now that you have a very powerful bond to animals and nature. You have proven yourssself worthy of claiming the power of invisibility." The guardian opened his mouth again to reveal the Snake talisman underneath his tongue. Fluttershy walked up and reached her hoof inside to take the talisman. "May the power ssserve you well." said the temple guardian as he slithered back in to his hole. The stone symbol in the ground closed completely.

"You did it, Fluttershy, you actually did it!" Twilight applauded to her friend. The group walked back through the hall and back outside the temple door. They knew they were almost out because the loud noise of the waterfall could easily be heard. As they were about to pass through the open crack, something came to Daring Do's mind. "I remember now." said Daring Do "The other reason I came to back was to warn you about the- oof!." From the corner, Ratso's hoof punched Daring Do in the cheek knocking her out cold to the ground. Chow ran over to check her pockets and saddlebag. "No talisman." said Chow as he ran back to his allies leaving the knocked out Daring Do on the ground. "Fluttershy! Watch out!" Twilight screamed. "Oof!" Tohru approached from behind and slammed his hooves down on Twilight's back, knocking her out, and then picked up the unconscious pony. Fluttershy looked in horror as the assailants made quick work of her friends. "Looks like the hard work is done for us." Finn teased. "So be a good pony and just hand over the talisman." "Never!" Fluttershy retorted. "Put them down right now!" "Oh look guys, a pinked haired pegasus is telling us what to do." Ratso laughed. "Yeah, she might break my sunglasses if she gets angry." Chow teased. As the enforcers continued to mock Fluttershy's innocent demeanor, her eyes began to twitch and her breathing started to get heavier. She still had the talisman in her saddlebag, and did not hesitate to get it out. "She's got the talisman!" Tohru said, still holding Twilight. "I'll handle this!" Chow insisted. "You... big... MEANIES!" Fluttershy yelled. "NOBODY HURTS MY FRIENDS!"

The anger from Fluttershy triggered the power of the Snake talisman, causing her to disappear. "What the-" said Chow. Immediately, the invisible Fluttershy leaped at Chow and drop kicked him in to the wall. "Find her!" Tohru commanded. Finn and Ratso ran to where Chow got beaten up and tried their hardest to find the invisible pegasus. Fluttershy quickly got behind the two, and back kicked both of the thugs off the cave edge and sent them falling down the waterfall. "Grrr!" Tohru growled as he kept trying to strike Fluttershy, which made him look stupid as he kept missing. Fluttershy grabbed Tohru's overalls and used all her strength and adrenaline to hurl the giant stallion down the same direction as the other Dark Hoof enforcers. "Wooooaaahhhhh!" Tohru screamed as he fell down the long drop. A loud splash was heard when he landed in the river. In the cave, Chow got back on all fours but realized he was outmuscled. "I'm outta here. Guys wait up!" Chow cried out as he scurried off and out of sight from the cave.

Twilight and Daring Do slowly gained consciousness when all the enforcers were gone. "Ow... my head." Daring Do moaned. "Hold on, where's Fluttershy?" Twilight said feeling very worried. "I'm right here." Fluttershy replied. She became visible again and put the talisman back in her bag. "Ha! I bet you gave those goons the biggest butt whooping they've ever had, didn't ya?" Daring Do joked. Fluttershy tapped her hooves and blushed. "Well, something like that." she said with a modest voice.

"Come on, let's get out of this damp cave." Twilight insisted. The group finally got out of the waterfall, and back to the river bank. "I gotta say, this has been one of my best adventures yet!" Daring Do stated. "I'm just very glad you could help us out in there. We should do more adventures like this again sometime." said Twilight. "I hope you can visit us in Ponyville." Fluttershy invited. "Well, it's time for us to go separate ways. I know we'll cross paths again, Twilight and Fluttershy. I wish the best of luck to you in your quest for the talismans." Daring Do said as she crouched down, flapped her wings, and launched herself in to the air. Twilight and Fluttershy waved to Daring Do as she flew towards the sunset and then disappeared in the horizon. "I think it's time we get back home." Twilight said. "Whaddya say, pal?" "Yay." said Fluttershy with her innocent smile.


	6. Chapter 5: Dragon in Sheep's Clothing

Chapter 5: Dragon in Sheep's Clothing

It was a beautiful morning for Twilight and Pinkie Pie to search Unicorn Range for the Sheep talisman. Anytime Twilight needed a pony with a keen sense of unexpected random moments, Pinkie Pie was the ace in her deck. "I know the talisman is somewhere in this meadow, Pinkie Pie." Twilight foretold. "But only one of these haystacks is covering it." "Don't be silly, it's not like we're going to be here forever." said Pinkie Pie with optimism. "And don't you think it's ironic how the one we're looking for is related to all the animals around us?" No matter how challenging things could be, it was very rare for Pinkie Pie to get discouraged or not smile. "Yes Pinkie, I am fully aware of all the sheep that inhabit the entire range." Twilight acknowledged. Even if they weren't in sight, it was very easy to hear the baas from all the sheep and ram throughout Unicorn Range. As Twilight searched one haystack after another, Pinkie pranced around in her happy-go-lucky manner and made an astute observation. She noticed that all the haystacks Twilight searched had at least one sheep eating the hay, but the only stack Twilight passed by was not getting any attention at all. It was as if a mysterious force was keeping the sheep away from that one particular haystack. "Hmm, I'll check this one." Pinkie Pie said to herself. She dug both hooves through the lonely haystack and glanced her big blue eye inside. Sure enough, in the dead center was the prize they were looking for. "Oooooo, pretty rock." Pinkie Pie said out loud. Twilight looked over and was very amazed that Pinkie only searched one haystack to get the talisman. "Great job, Pinkie!" Twilight complimented. "Now we need to get outta here before-" "Oh no, my Pinkie senses are tingling." Pinkie Pie alerted.

As Pinke Pie's tail and body trembled, Shadowkhan minions rose from the grass like ghosts coming out of a grave. Pinkie stuffed the Sheep talisman in her thick curly mane to hide it. "Um, we don't have it." she fibbed. With no words or emotion, the Shadowkhan brandished their swords, indicating that they called the bluff. "Well, you know, I thought maybe they'd buy it." Pinkie said, looking at Twilight with a guilty smile. The ninjas rushed forward and attacked Pinkie Pie, keeping their attention only on the gregarious pink pony. "Missed me, missed me again." Pinkie giggled. She did not feel threatened at all as she continued to dodge every sword attack with very little effort. Twilight was also charging up a magic missile in her horn but it was too difficult for her to aim at the fast moving attackers, considering that she did not want to blast her friend by accident. "Pinkie look out!" Twilight shouted. A ninja approached Pinkie Pie from behind with a sword, but at the very last moment Twilight fired her magic attack and blasted the ninja into dust. "Phew, close one." Pinkie said with relief. "Be careful Pinkie, you have the talisman!" Twilight voiced out. Unexpectedly, a Shadowkhan ninja sweep kicked at Pinkie Pie's front hooves and tripped her. The Sheep talisman rolled out of her mane and on to the grass, open for the taking. Twilight sprinted forward, hoping to get to the talisman, but in rotten luck the attacking ninja grabbed it first. With amazing power, the Shadowkhan ninja pitched the talisman all the way over to Finn and Ratso, who were riding in a fast moving mine cart down the railroad tracks. After Finn caught the talisman in his hooves, all of the Shadowkhan thew down their smoke bombs at the same time, and disappeared after the blue smoke subsided. "Thanks for the freebie, losers!" Finn shouted as he and Ratso were getting away.

"Not on my watch!" Twilight yelled. The purple unicorn ran as fast as she could to catch up to the enforcers, but she tired out after about thirty seconds of running. "Pinkie Pie... it's up to you..." Twilight painted as she gradually moved as slow as molasses. "Huh... Pinkie?" Twilight just realized that her buddy was not close to her. Finn and Ratso continued their escape until they saw something they did not expect at all. Pinkie somehow got way ahead of the crooks, and had a big surprise at the end of the railroad tracks that turned the tables around. "Here's my PARTY CANNON!" Pinkie Pie shouted. When the enforcers got within point blank range, Pinkie fired her party cannon and blasted the goons out of the cart and sent them flying into a thick coated ram. When Finn and Ratso regained there composure, the ram charged and chased them at least a mile away out of harm's reach. "Hope their not having a baaaad day." Pinkie Pie joked. "Glad to see your sense of humor hasn't changed." Twilight remarked as she approached the minecart to reach in for the talisman. It was a bit surprising that the talisman remained in the mine cart even after Finn and Ratso got blasted away. "You did a great job today, Pinkie!" Twilight said gratefully. "Aw it was nothing!" Pinkie Pie modestly said. Twilight secured the Sheep talisman in her saddlebag and suddenly felt her fatigue kick in. "This really took a lot out of me. Waking up early in the morning, looking through all those haystacks, fighting the ninjas, going after those brutes, AND hunting down the other three talismans from before, I could REALLY use a nap at this tim!" Twilight took a deep breath after ranting out everything on her mind. "Now we just need to get back home before I start counting sheep." Twilight sighed. "Well whaddya we waiting for, let's get back to Ponyville!"

Around high noon, Twilight finally made it back to Ponyville in one piece. When she walked in the library, her head was slouching and her eyelids were heavy. "Hey Twilight, how did everything go?" Spike asked. "Just peachy..." Twilight said with fatigue. "You don't sound very good." said Spike. "Hold on! Please tell me you got the talisman!" "Yes Spike, I have it in my bag." Twilight said. "But aren't you supposed to take that to Canterlot right away? Don't forget what happened last time when we kept the Rooster talisman here." Spike said, remembering that unforgettable night. "Oh no! I forgot all about it!" Twilight blurted out. "About what?" Spike asked. "Pinkie Pie is having a slumber party at Sugarcube Corner tonight, which means that if I go then I won't have time to make it to Canterlot Castle! But I don't want to disappoint the others, so that means I have to attend!" "Calm down Twilight, I'm sure Princess Celestia won't get mad at you over one party." Spike consulted. "I'll be leaving at 6:00 this evening, but first I'm taking a nice long nap." Twilight said. "Spike, please put this in a bookcase drawer." Twilight reached in her bag for the Sheep talisman, but her slow reflexes caused her to drop it on the floor. Spike hurried over, picked it up, and secured it inside a small box to be hidden in the bookcase. Twilight proceeded to walk up the stairs and then collapsed as soon as she got in her bed. Spike thought to himself about everything his master could be stressing over. "Gosh, all of this talisman hunting is taking a toll on Twilight." he thought to himself. "She's forgetting to have fun every now and then. I think the party will be a good way to get the stress off her mind."

Meanwhile back in the Dark Hoof hideout, Finn and Ratso were still brushing off the confetti that got blasted on them from Pinkie Pie's cannon. Trixie was rather annoyed with the mess they were making near her desk and in front of Shendu. "It would seem that Twilight Sparkle has claimed yet another talisman, giving her a total of four while I have none!" Shendu yelled. "There is no excuse for your mediocre efforts. You are weak, Trixie; and so are your pathetic henchmen." "That's it, I ain't takin' no more lip from a statue." Finn barked. "Watch that tone when you speak to me!" Shendu snapped. "Even in my current state, you are still at my mercy and should any of you defy me, I will make sure that all of you suffer dearly for insubordination!" "We're the ones that are searching all of bloody Equestria for these ridiculous talismans." Trixie argued. "The least you could do is be a team player." "If it's direct cooperation you want, then that can be arranged." Shendu insisted. "If stupidity is hindering your progress, then what you need is the eyes of a dragon." A small section of Shendu's body started to liquidate and melt. Following up, a Shadowkhan ninja walked over and reached his hand in the melted are and pulled out a gnarly pendant. It resembled Shendu's face with the same sinister expression and the same red piercing eyes. "When a talisman is near, the eyes will show you the path." Shendu stated. "Finn, you and Ratso should check out Ponyville before going straight to Canterlot." Trixie indirectly commanded. "Hope it's not a repeat of our first encounter." Ratso moaned.

Around dusk, Twilight had finally gotten ready for the party after her long nape. She was also much more invigorated with confidence since her rest had gotten the stress off her mind. "I'm heading over to Pinkie Pie's party now." she said. "Spike, make sure the talisman stays in that box, okay?" "Of course I can, Twilight. You can count on me to hold the fort down." Spike assured. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. Good night Spike." Twilight said, bidding farewell. As soon as she walked out the door, Spike could not resist his own curious nature to find out the power of the Sheep talisman. "I can't just sit here doing nothing, and besides, one look won't do any harm." he said. Spike opened the cabinet underneath the bookshelf where he was told to hide it. He was starting to get just a little bit nervous, but not enough to stop him from getting the talisman out of the box. The moment Spike put the Sheep talisman in his palm, the sheep image gradually lit up and activated. Spike's body collapsed on the ground, and his spirit form ejected into the air. "Wait, what am I doing up here?" Spike looked back down at his physical body on the ground. "Oh no! I'm dead!" Spike panicked. He flew back down to his body and regained consciousness. "I'm, alive?" he wondered. "Hmmmm" Spike thought for a second, and ran up the stairs to his small bed. Once he got to the bed, he clenched the talisman again and went back to astral form. "So this must be the ghost talisman." Spike concluded. "Wow, this is awesome, now I don't have to sit around the library forever. I can fly around all of Equestria. Yahoo!" The baby dragon took flight and embarked on an extraordinary adventure.

About an hour later, Finn and Ratso had made it to the outside perimeter of the library. "Shoot, it's probably locked up in Canterlot Castle by now, let's just call it a night" said Ratso. While Finn was wearing the pendant Shendu made for them, the eyes of the dragon pendant started to glow bright red right after Ratso's suggestion. "I'm sorry, you said somethin'? Finn said with a smug look. Finn and Ratso quietly sneaked through the front door without being seen. Not saying a word to each other, Finn pointed his hoof at the stairway since the locator indicated that direction. When the two cronies got to the top of the staircase, they spotted Spike's motionless body lying in his bed with the talisman in his open claw. "No... way." Ratso whispered. Finn casually walked over to the lifeless dragon and easily took the Sheep talisman. As the two enforcers walked out the door, Finn came up with a clever idea. "I know exactly what to tell the boss." he said with a slick smile.

It only took about an hour for the enforcers to make it back to their informal headquarters. They also had no qualms with making up an elaborate story to overestimate their achievement. "And then she fired her magic beam at us, but I used the table to block!" Ratso said with so much energy in his voice. "He's right Great T, it was like something out of a comic book if you'd seen the whole fight." Finn added. "I mean it's not like we had any trouble getting the talisman from a sleeping baby dragon- oof!" Finn punched Ratso in the chest before he could ruin their tall tale. "Was that before or after she blasted the table?" Trixie questioned, raising her eyebrow with skepticism. "Well, regardless of what happened in the library, I know how much this means to you, boss." said Finn, as reached in his saddlebag and revealed the talisman with pride. After Finn handed over the talisman to his boss, Trixie pitched the Sheep talisman into one of Shendu's octagon shaped sockets, which landed perfectly inside. "Cheers, Shendu, to our first talisman." Trixie said holding up her cup of tea. The talisman gave off the white shine for a few seconds until it settled in completely. "I'm freeeeeee!" Shendu exclaimed as his astral form slowly came out of his encased body. Shortly after, the dragon demon retracted back. "A good start for your first talisman, Trixie. With the power of the sheep, I am able to use my astral projected form to explore the world as a free spirit." Shendu explained. "I can also use this to my advantage for finding the other claimed talismans." Shendu did not bother to say anything else to Trixie, so he instead reverted back to astral projection to carry on his own agenda. "If there's a sleeping baby dragon, then there's an open vessel for me! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" As Shendu took off for Ponyville, Finn and Ratso left Trixie alone as she relaxed in her chair with a cup of tea.

Spike was having a great time peeking in on other Ponies in Ponyville since he eventually realized that he could not be seen or heard. "This is getting boring, there's no fun if no one can see or hear me." said Spike. "I'll go check out Canterlot instead. I'm curious to see what it's like in the private areas." When Spike got to Canterlot Castle, he noticed that Princess Luna was standing on the highest balcony looking through a telescope. What the baby dragon did not expect was for her to be able to detect his presence. "Ah, so we have a wondering soul tonight." Luna said. "Wait a sec, you can see me!?" Spike said back. "Indeed I can, Spike. Through my lunar powers, I can see into anybody's dreams as well as those who are in astral form." Princess Luna explained. "My only guess of thy presence is because thou has unlocked the power of another talisman Twilight Sparkle found." "Wow you're good." Spike "But why has thy master not returned to Canterlot to safeguard the talisman?" Luna solemnly asked. "I know this might sound a bit farfetched, but she had to go to a slumber party." Spike answered. "A slumber party, how charming. It seems some ponies do appreciate the night life after all." Luna sarcastically said. "But enough of that, I strongly urge thee to retreat back to the library before anybody finds thy lifeless body." she advised. "I bid thee farewell, young Spike. Now go!" "Yes your highness!" After giving a quick salute, Spike soared very quickly in the direction back to Ponyville. "I hope he'll be alright." Luna said quietly to herself. "Both he and the talisman could be in grave danger if he doesn't make it in time. I shall watch over in case the great evil emerges."

Spike was racing back to Ponyville as fast as he could, but from the distance he saw that he had opposition. "Out of my way, little dragon!" Shendu sneered. "No you don't, ya big ugly dragon!" Spike yelled back. They both dived for the library, passed through walls and headed straight for the body. Shendu narrowly got in first before Spike could rightfully claim his flesh. When Shendu gained consciousness, his red piecing eyes glowed. "Get out, it's my body!" said Spike as he kept on trying to dive into himself, but each time he tackled his own body, he was deflected back. "Try all you want, weak little dragon. My spirit is far stronger than yours will ever be in a thousand years!" Shendu insulted. "Now to find my way to Canterlot Castle." When Shendu opened to door to go outside, he looked in the distance and saw a familiar face standing firm in the middle of the road. Princess Luna's blue sparkly mane waved in the moonlight, and she had a very stern look in her yes. "Awesome, she's here!" Spike cheered. "You... you're one of the alicorns that turned me into a statue!" Shendu ascertained. "Thou shall not pass, foul creature. Relinquish the baby dragon's body or face my anger!" Luna demanded. Her anger resonated enough to cause a lightning bolt to strike in the sky, which made her seem even more intense. Shendu stepped out of the library and progressed to face off against the moon princess out in the open. "Have it your way then." Shendu sneered. "Even though I am not in my true for, this will prove that I am once and for all... your executioner!" Shendu opened his mouth very wide and breathed out red hot flames at Luna. The princess fired back a white beam of light from her horn, and overpowered Shendu's hot breath. The beam also struck Spike's body, and purged the demon's spirit from the flesh that he temporarily controlled. "Nooooooooo!" Shendu screamed as his spirit was ejected from Spike's body, giving the baby dragon the opportunity to get inside his body for good. The demon was driven all the way back to Manehatten in his petrified encasement. "Back so soon, aren't you?" Trixie patronized as she sipped her tea. "Blasted alicorn spell, I'll get my revenge when I'm free from this wretched prison." Shendu swore.

Spike immediately got back in his body, and woke up in the street. Princess Luna offered her hoof to help Spike off the ground. "Wow, you're amazing as ever, Princess Luna." Spike complimented as he regained footing. "Thank you for all your help." "Tis my duty to help those in need of my aid." "Pleasant dreams, young Spike." She winked back and took flight towards the moon. "Aw man, I need to get some rest after all that." All the sudden, a thought came piercing through Spike that reminded him of something else. "Oh no, the talisman! I'd better get it fast." Spike's heart raced as he ran back inside the library and up to his bed on the second floor. He rushed around looking everywhere but there was no talisman to be found. "I don't understand, the demon didn't take it with him." "Actually..." Spike had a flashback in his mind of what Princess Luna warned him about. "Dang it, those thugs must have taken it while I was goofing off. Twilight's gonna kill me when she finds out tomorrow." Spike slumped in his bed and thought to himself as he drifted into sleep. "If only I had listened..."

The next morning, Twilight came through the door looking very happy. "Good morning Spike, I hope you slept well." Twilight greeted. She walked over to the same bookshelf that Spike had the talisman hidden inside. When she opened the box, Twilight froze in fear when she saw it was missing. "No, the talisman... Spike, what happened?!" "I'm very sorry, Twilight, it's all my fault, when I took the talisman out of the box, I accidently triggered the power of astral projection." Spike confessed. "I got too carried away with flying around Ponyville and Canterlot, and in my absence the bad guys took it from my body." "Did anything else happen while I was gone?" Twilight asked. Deep down inside, Spike felt like he had already done enough damage losing the talisman, let alone allowing his own body to be possessed by a demon that only Princess Luna could exorcise. "Nope, that was it." Spike lied. "Look Spike, you don't have to be so hard on yourself. "You're still my number one assistant, and we all make mistakes including myself." Twilight consulted. "Come on, let's get some breakfast." Twilight walked with her loyal assistant down the streets of Ponyville. In the back of his mind, Spike was relieved not only for Twilight's forgiveness, but also for her not being overly obsessed about the talismans for a change. It was the first time that they had lost to their new enemies, but it was an experience that would make them stronger in the long run.

End of Chapter 5


	7. Chapter 6: The Slow and the Steady

Chapter 6: The Slow and the Steady

Around the schoolyard of Ponyville Elementary, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were sitting at a picnic table enjoying freshly grown apples for their lunch. On a typical day, they would discuss ways for each of them to get their cutie marks, but the talk amongst their group became relatively different. The talismans of Shendu had made a very big impression on them, especially Apple Bloom because of her unforgettable encounter in Appleloosa. "And after Twilight and my sister got knocked down, I stepped in and beat Tohru with the talisman!" Apple Bloom recalled. "That's great! Although I wish Rarity and I get to help find a talisman soon." Sweetie Belle hoped. "Then that means Rainbow Dash and I should get one as well." Scootaloo implied. Before they could share other ideas, a slender colt named Featherweight came out of the schoolhouse with a bag of papers to pass out. He was primarily known for being the editor in chief for the _Foal Free Press_. "Extra, extra, read all about it!" Featherweight hollered out as he passed out all the copies. The crusaders eagerly grabbed a paper to look over. Scootaloo flipped through the articles until they got to the back cover with a huge unique tortoise. "Cool! The Baltimare Super Shell Convention." Sweetie Belle read out. "Also known as Shellcon for short." Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes and looked closer at the smaller print. "Aw shucks, it's 30 gold bits per head to get in." Apple Bloom said, feeling bummed. "And it's this weekend, only two days away from today. No use in goin' at this point." "Actually, there's more to it." Scootaloo said. The pegasus pointed her hoof at something the other two overlooked. In the middle of the tortoise's shell on the flier image was a gray octagon with the insignia of a rabbit. "I'll be gosh darned! That's the Rabbit talisman!" Apple Bloom blurted out. "Well look what we have here, the blank flanks are getting excited over nothing." a voice from behind said in a mocking tone.

When the three Cutie Mark Crusaders looked back, they were face to face with the pretentious Diamond Tiara and her close friend Silverspoon. "It's no surprise that you three are so desperate to find these so-called magic talismans." Diamond Tiara teased. "After all, you still don't have your cutie marks." "Oh dear, I wonder if that Ox guy will show up to help them." Silverspoon sarcastically added. "His name is Iron Will, and besides he lives in Appleloosa, not Ponyville." Apple Bloom stated. "Oh, what's this, a turtle convention? Seriously, you losers never cease to amuse me." Diamond Tiara berated as she noticed the newspaper on the table. "I guess your only hope of a cutie mark is to wear a shell on your flank." Silverspoon ridiculed. "See ya around, cutie mark losers." Diamond Tiara said as she and Silverspoon prepared to leave. The crusaders did not bother to look back at their enemies since it was bad enough having to tolerate their insults. "Magic talismans my hoof." the two fillies laughed as they left the area. "I'll never give in to them... ever!" Scootaloo sneered. "Honestly, I'm glad they don't know the truth about the talismans." Apple Bloom said with relief. "Yeah, I guess you're right." said Scootaloo. "We should show this to Twilight right after school." Sweetie Belle further suggested. "Hey, aren't you forgetting something? After all, Twilight's not the only one we have to rely on." Scootaloo said with a cocky grin. "This could be the chance for Rainbow Dash and I to step in." "Aw, but I wanted to help find one too." Sweetie Belle sighed. "Tell ya what, you and your sister can get the next one, I promise." Scootaloo assured. "You two should go to the library after school to inform Twilight. I'll find Rainbow Dash."

When school got out for the day, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hurried to Twilight's library as fast as they could. When they got close to the door, the door slowly opened as Twilight walked out. "Hold on girls, what's the big rush? Twilight asked, hoping there was no trouble. The two crusaders came to a screeching stop, just barely close enough to prevent themselves from colliding into their friend. "Twilight, we got something to show you!" Sweetie Belle said. "Look here, we got ourselves a lucky rabbit." said Apple Bloom as she held up the newspaper page. Twilight's eyes got big when she looked at the image of the big green tortoise with the Rabbit talisman in the center of its shell. "Wow, I'm surprised you found this before Princess Celestia could inform me." said Twilight. "I believe our best source for help will be Rainbow Dash since she has knowledge of owning a pet tortoise." "We got that part taken care of, and we decided that Scootaloo will help ya'll out this time." Apple Bloom said. "You've done a great job, you two." Twilight complemented. "If you don't mind, I'll keep this paper for reference." "Good luck getting the talisman, Twilight." Sweetie Belle said. "Let us know what happens." said Apple Bloom. They all waved goodbye, and then Twilight gently shut the door to resume her book organizing. "How are you going to be able to afford the trip let alone the con itself?" Spike asked while he was feather dusting a bookcase. "Hmm, that's a good question." Twilight pondered. "I'm on a tight budget right now but at the same time Princess Celestia is really counting on me to find the talismans as soon as possible." "You could always ask for a loan, I'm sure she won't mind doing that for you." Spike suggested. "That might be worth a try." Twilight said.

In the dreary hideout of the Dark Hoof, Trixie sat at her desk fidgeting with a small pile of gold bits. "You know Shendu, these talisman escapades have become quite the burden on my budget, yet I'm not seeing any returns." Trixie commented. "After all, we did score the Sheep talisman recently." "When and ONLY when you and your group retrieve all twelve talismans shall you be rewarded the lost treasure of Chin Sheewong." Shendu proclaimed. "You mean the refuted lost treasure." Trixie replied. "So it appears we have a skeptic." said Shendu. "I shall enlighten you." A Shadowkhan ninja came out from the left side of Shendu holding a golden goblet. When the ninja lifted the lid from the goblet, Trixie's jaw dropped open as she gazed at the golden nuggets shining with luster. The magician was so mesmerized to the point where she would not question Shendu's authority. "I...I don't believe it! It's magnificent!" The ninja retreated back into the Shadows along with the goblet and the gold. "You have my word that the treasure will rewarded to you once this journey is over." Shendu promised. Before Trixie could make any further statement, Finn and Ratso walked in the room next to each other arguing over the morning newspaper. "Aw c'mon Finn, I wanna read the comic section." Ratso begged. "Hold your tail, I gotta check the results from the Wonderbolts Grand Prix." Finn said. "You two, come closer!" Shendu demanded. Finn and Ratso looked back at Shendu with puzzled looks on their faces, not knowing if they did something good or bad. "Turn over to the very back page." the dragon instructed. Finn did as he was told, and then to everyone's surprise, the same flier from the _Foal Free Press_ was on the back of the _Manehattan Times_. "There it is, the Rabbit talisman. I trust that you will have no trouble dealing with reptiles." Shendu said. "You sure we should be messing with a turtle?" Ratso nervously commented. "I heard that when they bite, they won't let go until there's rain." "It ain't gonna rain this week, Ratso. And besides, it's a tortoise, not a turtle. The little guy can't stop us from taking the darn rock off his back." Finn said, poking fun at Ratso's lack of confidence. "Then it's settled. Let Tohru and Chow know about this." Trixie instructed. "The sooner you all get that talisman, the richer we will all be! The Great-and-Powerful Trixie will not fail!" "Patience, my faithful mare." Shendu interjected. "Slow and steady wins the race..."

Scootaloo was racing all through Ponyville on her scooter looking for her favorite idol. "Darn it, if only I could fly this would be so much easier." Scootaloo said as she raced passed pedestrians and moving carts. It was rather embarrassing to the young pegasus that not only did she lack a cutie mark, but her wings were very underdeveloped for her age. For that reason, her most reliable way of travel had always been her blue scooter. "Hold on, I see someone in that cloud!" Scootaloo observed. As she got a better view of elevation, she was able to catch sight of Rainbow Dash on cloud control duty. "Rainbow Dash! Down here! I need to talk to you!" Scootaloo hollered while she dismounted from her scooter. The rainbow maned pegasus easily recognized the young filly's voice, and zoomed down to see her friend. "Hey, Scootaloo! Whatcha doin' around here?" Rainbow asked. "I need to tell you about something really awesome that happened today" Scootaloo quickly said. She had to take a few breaths before she could continue talking. "Me and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders found a picture of this tortoise in the school paper and-" "Wait a minute, you came all this way looking for me just to talk about a tortoise!?" Rainbow Dash asked. "C'mon, what's so awesome about that?" "But this isn't just an ordinary one." Scootaloo continued. "The tortoise has a talisman stuck in its shell; the Rabbit talisman to be exact. We really need your help on this, Rainbow Dash. You're the only pony I know that has a tortoise, and I'm sure that if you bring Tank, it will be easier to get the talisman." "You mean, THE talismans!?" Rainbow Dash asked with her eyes getting wider. "The ones that Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie found recently? Heck yeah I'll help out! Time for your senior friend Rainbow Dash to make her move!" "I knew you would be up for it! Thanks for taking the offer!" Scootaloo happily said. "I'll catch up with you and the others after you get out of school tomorrow. See ya around, kid!" said Rainbow Dash as she took off for the sky, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. Scootaloo watched in amazement, feeling inspired to be as awesome as her hero. "One day, I'll be just like her!" Scootaloo said with determination in her eyes.

The next day, Twilight hurried to the Ponyville train station around 4 pm to meet Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. Tank was also present, equipped with his goggles and flying propeller that he always used to keep up with Rainbow Dash. "Took ya long enough." Rainbow Dash remarked. "Scootaloo and I got here in a flash." "Sorry I'm late." Twilight apologized. "I had to write a letter to Princess Celestia, but at least I convinced her to lend us enough money to cover the costs of the hotel and other stuff." "We should get on now, the train's gonna leave any minute now." Scootaloo said. The three ponies passed on their luggage to the baggage porter, and boarded the train. "The pet will have to come with me to the proper designated area." the porter stated. "Alright, but you better take good care of him." Rainbow Dash said back. The porter escorted Tank to another cabin where other pets were being kept while Twilight and her friends made their way to coach. When they got settled in their seats, Scootaloo picked up on the conversation again. "By the way Twilight, why did Spike not come with you on this trip?" Scootaloo asked politely. "He seems like the type that enjoys going on adventures." "He would've been more than happy to come, but he's still very embarrassed about losing the Sheep talisman to the dragon demon." Twilight explained. "He believes it's the best way to atone for his mistake." "Poor guy, I hope he doesn't get discouraged from helping us out ever again." Scootaloo said. "Don't you two worry, as long as you got the awesome Rainbow Dash around, there's nothin' that can stop us!" Rainbow Dash bragged. Twilight gave a narrow look at her egotistical friend, indicating that the boasting was completely unnecessary. "Come on, Rainbow Dash, we're on a 2 hour ride to Baltimare, so the least you can do is not get carried away." Twilight said. "Alright..." Rainbow Dash groaned. She slouched her head on a pillow and closed her eyes. Scootaloo turned her head and stared out the window while Twilight decided to read a book for the remainder of the ride. When the three ponies finally arrived in Baltimare, the only things they wanted to to do were eat dinner and get to the hotel right away. Twilight and Rainbow Dash did not want to dawdle around the metropolitan city because of the big day to follow. Scootalloo and Tank were also not in the mood for sightseeing. When it finally got close to bed time, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were getting ready to get some shuteye when Scootaloo had already passed out on one of the beds. Rainbow Dash tucked Scootaloo under the blankets and then gently patted the foal on her mane. "Good night, my awesome friend." Rainbow Dash said quietly.

The following day around 10 am, Twilight and her friends arrived at the Baltimare convention center and saw a few groups of ponies that were clearly turtle enthusiasts. "Come on every pony, let's get in before those bad guys- ugh!" Scootaloo tried to dart for the entrance but Twilight grabbed her from behind. "Don't jump in the action just yet." Twilight said. "Slow and steady wins the race." "What the heck does that mean? You're just making up some egghead nonsense." Rainbow Dash refuted. "Actually, it's an old and wise moral from one of Neighsop's fables, _The Tortoise and the Hare_. Once upon a time, there was... huh?" Twilight looked around and noticed that Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo ditched her to get in the convention sooner. "Hmm, they'll never learn at this rate." Twilight said, shaking her head. To her disappointment, she went on through the entrance alone. When Twilight got inside, she was impressed with how many ponies were so enthusiastic about Shellcon. The majority of everyone, especially the wealthy ponies, were showing off their finest turtles and tortoises and bragging about every little detail about them. "No time to waste, I've gotta find the big fellow." Twilight said to herself.

Unfortunately for the heroes, the Dark Hoof enforcers had also managed to get to Shellcon for the same obvious reason. While searching around, Tohru, Finn, and Chow were not impressed at all with the con, but Ratso was the only one making the best out of it. They even went as far as searching the dealer's room but with no success. "No Ratso, you can't have one." Finn scolded as Ratso was holding a stuffed turtle plushie. "But I like Tommy the Turtle. Please Finn I'll pay you back." Ratso begged. "Be quiet you two. We're here for the talisman, not for toys." Tohru ordered. "There's the purple one, let's nail her!" Chow said with spite. "Not yet, we still have not found the talisman." Tohru stated. "We will follow her."

Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, and Tank were still together, but they did not take the time to admire all the shelled creatures. "Ugh, eggheads, so many of them." Rainbow Dash groaned. She did not feel comfortable seeing young adult ponies dressing up in shell costumes that she imagined would be for colts and fillies. It also annoyed Rainbow Dash whenever somebody would ask to take a picture of Tank. They were after one thing and one thing only: the tortoise with the Rabbit talisman. "Darn, there's so many of these things but not a single one of them is the one we're looking for." Scootaloo whined. "Don't give up yet, my friend." Rainbow Dash encouraged. After about an hour of looking around the convention, a staff member made an announcement over the PA system.

"Mares and gentlecolts, thank you very much for your time and patience. On the second floor in the ballroom, we will now be showing the main star of the event. The one and only Neighsop has finally arrived! " Just about every pony rushed to the elevators and stairs to get to the panel room on the second room. Scootaloo was absolutely certain that Neighsop was the tortoise on the back cover of her school paper. "I definitely know it's him. He's the one with the talisman." Scootaloo said to Rainbow Dash. "Wow, I guess what Twilight said before wasn't a made-up thing after all. But she's still an egghead." Rainbow Dash chuckled.

Twilight also heard the announcement and got the instinctive feeling to go to the ballroom. When she got there, she also reunited with Rainbow Dash, Scoootaloo, and Tank. "Girls, I think I found the one we're looking for." Twilight assumed. "Well duh, that's why we're here." Rainbow Dash said. They looked over and saw Neighsop on a red carpet while he was also surrounded by a huge crowd of what seemed to be his own cult following. "Now we just need to get the talisman and get outta here." said Scootaloo. Before they could proceed, the Dark Hoof enforcers had cut their way through the crowd to get to Neighsop. "There the bad guys, don't let them take it!" Twilight ordered. The crowd gasped when Tohru was trying to remove the Rabbit talisman with force, but Rainbow Dash flew in to intervene. With an impressive flying kick, Rainbow Dash struck Tohru in the back of his head and knocked him down. "Get the rainbow one!" Chow yelled as the enforcers chased after Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash, keep these guys distracted while I try to remove the talisman." Twilight instructed. "I'll have Tank interact with Neighsop to make it easier." Scootaloo added. "I'me on it!" Rainbow Dash saluted. Scootaloo positioned Tank to interact with Neighsop so that the big tortoise would not have to worry about his shell getting tinkered around. Twilight began to use her unicorn magic to remove the Rabbit talisman, but it turned out to be much harder than expected. Neighsop's shell had such a tight grip on the talisman that even Twilight's magic was giving her a headache. "Nah nah." Rainbow Dash taunted at the enforcers with her funny facial expression. Finn, Ratso, and Chow jumped for her but she flew away very quick. The attackers crashed into each other, and then Rainbow Dash grabbed a table cloth. She flew in circles around the enforcers and tied them up in the cloth. Other bystanders were whispering to each other and watched in aw. "She's pretty good." "I've never seen such speed." "I wonder what her name is." they all said to each other.

Twilight was getting closer to removing the Rabbit talisman from Neighsop's shell, but it was not coming out without a fight. "Just a little... more." she said with her teeth gritting from all the stress. After a very enduring struggle, Twilight finally popped the talisman out of the tortoise's shell. However, Tohru had gotten back up on from being knocked out, and was quick enough to tackle Twilight and Scootaloo away before they could claim the talisman. Afterwards, Tohru picked up the Rabbit talisman and left the two dazed heroes on the ground. When Rainbow Dash saw what Tohru did to Scootaloo and Twilight, her patience had completely gone out the window. "That's it, put em up tough guy!" Rainbow Dash barked. She spread he wings to full span and readied herself in sprinting position. Shortly after, a white light traced within the rabbit image on the talisman and activated the magic. As soon as Tohru moved slightly forward, he zipped away and moved like a blur within reach of Rainbow Dash. When the large bully realized what had happened, he had a malicious grin across his face. "Hmm, peppy..." he said. "Take this!" Rainbow Dash shouted when she went for a flying kick. Tohru zoomed away to another spot, making Rainbow Dash look like a slowpoke. The process repeated, and every time the spunky pegasus went for an attack, Tohru dodged and struck back each time. Scootaloo watched in horror as the gigantic stallion was beating down on her hero and not even breaking a sweat. "Wow, look at the big guy move." Finn said while still tied up with the other enforcers. "If only we could do that to Sparkle." said Chow.

It was not a good feeling for Twilight and Scootaloo to watch Rainbow Dash get smacked around by the speed enchanted Tohru. Twilight had to come up with a practical and fast idea before things could get worse. She looked behind her and saw a table with cups of ice water sitting around. Instinctively, Twilight knocked the table over, spilling all the ice water on the ground Other ponies in the area gasped in shock when she made the mess but it was still for a good cause. As Tohru came at Rainbow Dash, he slipped on the puddle, and went sliding down the wooden floor. "Whoooahhh!" Tohru yelled out as he went sliding. He was heading straight at Finn, Ratso, and Chow who were still tied up in ropes. "Oh no! Oh on! OH NO!" all three of the enforcers screamed in fright. The velocity of Tohru sliding on the wooden floor was so fast that when he crashed into the other enforcers, they smashed through the wall. The whole Dark Hoof gang was knocked out, and the Rabbit talisman rolled out of Tohru's hoof. The crowd of ponies cheered for the noble mares and took pictures of the aftermath.

Rainbow Dash flew over and grabbed the talisman from the unconscious Tohru and then gave it to Twilight. "So Rainbow Dash, what have we learned today?" Twilight asked with a smile. "Yeah yeah I know. Slow and steady wins the race..." Rainbow Dash answered without giving eye contact. Scootaloo approached the wreckage where the enforcers were unconscious and saw something unusual on the ground. She picked up a small card from where Finn was lying down and knew it was important. "Hey Twilight, come see this!" Scootaloo shouted across the ballroom. Twilight and Rainbow Dash hurried over to see what Scootaloo had found. On the card, there was an insignia of a black horse hoof with the initials DH in the center. "The symbol is obviously a hoof, but I can't help but think this has a significant meaning." Twilight concluded. We'd better keep this, it's our only clue to finding out who they truly are." "You ladies were incredile, can we please get a picture of ya'll next to Neighsop?" a staff pony asked eagerly. "Eh, I guess we could do it to celebrate." Raimbow Dash said. "We'd be more than happy to." Twilight answered. With another talisman and another victory claimed, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo stood with Tank and Neighsop as they smiled and posed for the camera.


	8. Chapter 7: The Stone Crusader

Chapter 7: The Stone Crusader

It was a typical busy day in the city of Manehattan; the city that never sleeps. On the flipside, almost any pony would agree that it was the most stressful place to live in Equestria. Regardless of the city conditions, Twilight, who was now teamed up with Rarity and Sweetie Belle, was highly determined to win the Rat talisman at the grand auction. "Wow, look at all those tall buildings." Sweetie Belle said in aw as they were riding in the back of a taxi caravan. "Now remember Sweetie Belle darling, the only reason I allowed you to come on this little field trip was to give you the chance to see Manehattan." Rarity said. "Besides, we've needed some sister-to-sister time together." "But I wanna help with the fun stuff, like finding the Rat talisman!" Sweetie Belle said. "Look, I know this feels like a comic book adventure to you, but there's no telling what kind of danger awaits us." said Twilight. "We're also not the only ones looking for it, and I'm sure Rarity has already told you that. And besides, we still don't know the magic the talisman possesses." For Sweetie Belle, it was a big deal in her mind to help find one of the twelve talismans. She wanted to be able to share a cool story since Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had already done their fair share of hunting.

As they arrived at their destination, the taxi pony slowed down and stopped right in front of the auction center. When the three of them stepped out, Rarity paid the driver and gave him a gem as a tip. "Thank you for the hard effort." Rarity said with a wink. The cab pony blushed and went on with his business. Twilight led the group inside and when they got in, there was a large crowd of wealthy ponies gathered around an auctioneer that was wearing a top hat and a monocle. They made their way closer to the stage so that they could increase their chances of bidding. Once they were close enough, Rarity opened her purse and took a peak inside to count her gems. "How much do you think that's worth total?" Twilight asked. "Somewhere around 1000 gold bits." Rarity guessed. "Good, that should be enough as long as they don't show up..." Twilight mentally thought to herself. "Twilight looks like she's in deep thought." Sweetie Belle observed. "She's been through a lot, believe me. Oh my, the talisman is up for bids!" Rarity exclaimed.

"And next up, we have here this strange octagon shaped rock with a rat drawing." the auctioneer announced. "Let's start the bid at 50 gold bits." "Sixty!" Rarity shouted. "Sixty gold bits, do I hear anyone else?" the auctioneer asked out. "One hundred!" a deep angry voice boomed from the back of the room. Twilight's hooves went numb when she recognized the voice of her arch-nemesis. "They're here..." Twilight said with her teeth clenched and left eye twitching. Just the mere thought of the Dark Hoof being in a somewhat controlled environment was enough to get Twilight physically and mentally rattled. "Why's she acting all weird?" Sweetie Belle asked Rarity. "She's talking about those uncanny ruffians that have caused her so much trouble." Rarity murmured back. "This is my first time seeing them and I already see trouble written on them." Sweetie Belle look to the back and saw where Tohru was standing with Finn, Ratso, and Chow; each of them equipped with a saddlebag stuffed with money. "One fifty!" Rarity retaliated. "Two hundred!" Tohru pushed. "Three hundred!" Rarity said. "Five hundred!" Tohru shouted. "Seven hundred!" Rarity screamed with her voice starting to crack. "One thousand!" Tohru firmly said. Twilight's teeth started to chatter from being so anxious that without any hesitation, she caved in. "Two thousand!" Twilight blurted out. Every pony in the room gasped in disbelief, while Rarity and Sweetie Belle's mouths dropped open and their eyes widened.

"Going once..." said the auctioneer. Tohru and the enforcers were scrambling through their pockets and saddlebags looking for extra change to add. "Going twice..." the auctioneer said slowly raising his hoof. "Twilight, please tell me you have enough!" Rarity pleaded. "SOLD!" the auctioneer announced with his hoof slamming the podium. "To the purple unicorn!"

Before Twilight could advance to the stage, Tohru was already shoving through the crowd to take the talisman for himself. Lucky for Twilight, she was already close enough that she got to the talisman first and grabbed it from the display stand. "I'll send you a check, thank you!" Twilight said as she darted off. "Rarity, catch!" Twilight threw the talisman as fast as she could, and Rarity was ready enough to catch it in her mouth. Finn and Ratso attempted to jump at the soaring talisman, but failed miserably and bumped heads into each other. "Come on girls, time to bail!" said Twilight.

When the ponies got outside, they saw the same taxi caravan with the same earth pony was waiting out front. Very quickly, Twilight and her friends jumped in. "To the train station, quickly now!" Rarity ordered. The cab pony sprinted fast, but from out of the auction house, Finn, Ratso, and Chow came out running in hot pursuit. It was not easy having to move at full throttle while maneuvering away from other passing caravans in the road. Sweetie Belle turned around and saw the three enforcers getting closer from behind. "They're gaining on us!" Sweetie Belle panicked. As the enforcers got closer enough, Finn approached the caravan from the left, while Ratso and Chow went for the right. "Hold on tight, ladies!" the cab pony forewarned. With all of his might, he pivoted his rear legs and swung the entire caravan 360 degrees around, which hurled Finn, Ratso, and Chow on the sidewalk. While laying on the pavement, the brutes were too tired and bruised to continue the chase. The driver repositioned the caravan and proceeded on to their destination.

After the ten minute chase was over, the caravan finally arrived at the train station. "Please kind sir, take all these. You've done us ladies a huge favor." Rarity said to the taxi pony as she paid him a hefty amount of gems. Twilight and her friends showed their boarding passes to the conductor and made themselves comfortable in their passenger seats. The fact that none of the brought heavy luggage to Manehattan made it a lot easier and less stressful for them travel back to Canterlot."We're lucky the big one couldn't chase us with all those bags of money he had." Sweetie Belle said. "Most importantly, we got the talisman before they could." Twilight said. "You still have it, right Rarity?" Rarity opened her purse and checked inside to look at the Rat talisman. "Safe and sound, darling." she confirmed. "Then we can finally relax for the rest of the ride." Twilight said, kicking back in her seat and closing her eyes.

Two hours later in the day, the heroes made it to Canterlot Castle. Princess Celestia was already waiting outside the front gate. "I applaud your efforts to make it back so soon." Celestia said. "Do you still have the talisman with you?" "Yes your highness, we have it for you." Twilight answered, who then nodded to Rarity to show it. "Excellent work. By any chance, have you already discovered its power?" Celestia questioned again. "We're terribly sorry, but we were in such a hurry that we weren't able to activate it soon enough." Rarity explained. "I understand. Twilight, you don't have to feel obligated, but would you care to experiment with the talisman in the throne room?" the princess asked sincerely. "Anything you ask for, Princess Celestia." Twilight responded. "Twilight, I would also be glad to assist you if it makes the task easier." Rarity insisted. "Of course you can help, Rarity." Twilight said gratefully. "Does this mean I get to help to?" Sweetie Bell asked. "No!" Twilight and Rarity snapped back simultaneously.

Princess Celestia led her two trusted allies to the throne room, leaving Sweetie Belle in the lobby area. "They never want me to help..." Sweetie Belle said while feeling depressed. "It's always some lame excuse like "Sweetie Belle, you're too young, Sweetie Belle, it's too dangerous." Ugh, I can't take it anymore! I wish I had some pony older than me that would listen for a change!" The filly shook her head in frustration and started to pace faster in the area. Within a short moment, she had a clever thought in her mind. "They only said I couldn't help, that doesn't mean I can't watch." she said to herself with a witty smile. Sweetie Bell walked out of the lobby room and quietly proceeded to see what her older sister and Twilight were up to.

Sweetie Belle quietly sneaked through the door and saw a pillar to hide behind. She had to be very careful not to be spotted by anyone else, making it to where tip-toeing was crucial to keep her cover. "Twilight, you will need a practice target for testing out the talisman's magic. The only thing I ask is for you is to please not damage anything else in here." Princess Celestia instructed. The alicorn princess whistled over to a sentry that was standing at attention. The royal guard knew what he needed to do and he rushed out of the room. A minute later, the same guard along with two others came back in carrying a white stone statue of a unicorn sentry and placed it in the center of the throne room. Twilight was a bit hesitant to test anything on the statue because it seemed rather unique, but she carried on with her instruction. "I'll do my best." Twilight said with her hoof holding the talisman. "Okay, time to work some magic. One... two..." "Twilight, hold your fire!" Celestia shouted. The princess quickly got up from her throne and paced over to the stone figure. "Everyone, I apologize for not being specific enough, but this is no ordinary statue. My sister and I built this when we were still young and we treasure it dearly." "We are very sorry, your highness." the guards apologized. "We'll find another one right away!" "It's alright, we'll postpone our project for later." said Princess Celestia. "As I was saying, he was never a real pony that existed, but rather an imaginary hero that we thought of as a protector of the weak and a fighter against evil. We named him Sir Magnus Wonderhoof." "Wow, you two must have a very awesome imagination." Twilight said with genuine interest. "I would like for the two of you to join me for lunch, I imagine you are all starving." "That would be wonderful, Princess Celestia. Twilight dear, I hope you're hungry too." Rarity insisted. "You bet I am." Twilight said with a giggle. The ponies left the room, leaving behind the statue, the talisman, and the well-hidden Sweetie Belle.

When nobody else was left, Sweetie Belle poked her head out from behind the pillar to make sure the coast was clear. "Maybe if I can activate the talisman, Rarity will start to acknowledge me." said Sweetie Belle. The curious filly walked over to where the talisman was laying on the ground and picked it up. "Well, here goes nothing." she said. She firmly held it in her hoof but nothing happened. "Come on, please work already!" Sweetie Belle begged, but her efforts were in vain. "Stupid talisman! Take this!" Getting agitated, she threw the Rat talisman at the statue, and somehow struck it perfectly in the chest area. Not only did the talisman stay firm on the statue, but the powerful light of magic started to trace in the rat figure. Once the talisman was fully activated, the pony statue began to materialize and started to show color. When the heroic looking unicorn became full flesh, he blinked a few times and looked around the room in a state of confusion, He had a gray body coat, gold hair for his mane, tail, goatee, and mustache, blue eyes, and emerald green armor. Sweetie Belle was in so much shock that she almost made the mistake of screaming for her sister.

"Who are you, and where am I?" the mysterious pony solemnly asked. "We're in Canterlot Castle, I thought you'd already know that." Sweetie Belle said. "I have never met you before yet you know of my name. How is this possible?" the warrior questioned. "Well, I know this is gonna sound strange, but you're actually a statue that has come to life." "A statue? You speak of nonsense. I am Sir Magus Wonderhoof, hero of Equestria that will put an end to the forces of evil! Now show me the way out." Magnus ordered. "That won't be easy because you have to get passed all the guards in the castle, and you still have something that we REALLY need. So please don't go anywhere." Sweetie Belle begged. "Explain yourself then. What do I have that you need so badly?"

At the same time that was going on, Twilight and Rarity were sitting with Princess Celestia in the dining room as they enjoyed their hayburgers. Twilight suddently remembered the business card with the DH symbol that Scootaloo found in Baltimare. "Pardom me, Princess Celestia, but I think you should take a look at this." Twilight said as she placed the card next to the princess's plate. When Princess Celestia finished her hayburger, she picked up the card and was stunned when she looked closely at it. "This symbol... I haven't seen this in years. I should have known that the Dark Hoof would get involved with the talismans." Princess Celestia said, looking down at the table. "The Dark Hoof... I don't believe I've ever read any material about such a thing." Twilight commented. "Your highness, who or what exactly is this Dark Hoof?" Rarity asked. "The Dark Hoof." Princess Celestia recalled. "Was the most powerful crime syndicate in all of Equestria; to the point that even the local police and my Canterlot soldiers struggled against their opposition. They had enough knowledge and financial support to get their hooves into political affairs; to the point where city mayors all around Equestria were convicted of being a part of the syndicate. Fortunately, enough research has proven that their top secret headquarters was located somewhere in Manehattan. All of the lower rank mobsters were arrested without trial, but the leader and his closest soldiers escaped and were never heard from." "Now that I think about it, those guys have gone so far out of their way to retrieve the talismans. Whoever their leader is, he or she is not just some ordinary thug. Who could it be?..." Twilight thought to herself. "If you don't mind me asking your majesty, did anyone ever confirm the identity of the Dark Hoof boss?" Rarity asked. Princess Celestia closed her eyes and took a small sip of her tea; gently nodding her head. Rarity could tell by the princess's expression that her question opened up another can of worms. "The leader was-"

Before the princess could finish, a loud explosion interrupted her. "What was that noise!?" Twilight asked after getting startled. "It came from the throne room, we need to hurry!" Princess Celestia stated. Twilight and Rarity followed the princess as fast as they could back to where they previously left before eating. They were in a horrific state of shock when they saw a big hole blasted in the wall leading to the courtyard, and both the talisman and the statue nowhere to be see. "No, this can't be happening! The statue, and the talisman, have been stolen! Guards, search the entire area, and don't leave a single spot unchecked!" Celestia commanded. "Yes ma'am!" the guards answered. "Twilight, Rarity, I am sorry to have gotten you in this mess, but I beg for your assistance." the princess pleaded. "We'll do everything in our power to get back the statue and the talisman." Twilight promised. After Celestia hustled out of the room, Twilight looked around for clues."I don't understand, how could the Dark Hoof get here so quickly!?" Twilight said as she scoured the area. "I also hope young Sweetie Belle hasn't been harmed. If they even lay a hoof on her mane, I'll-" "Calm down, Rarity. I'm sure she's alright." Twilight assured. "If she's not in the castle, then I'm sure she's with the statue and the talisman. Now let's find them!"

Sweetie Belle was keeping up with Magnus Wonderhoof, who had already managed to venture out to an open grassy field. "Please, Sir Magnus, we have to go back. A bunch of ponies are after you." Sweetie Belle warned. "Stop following me, child!" Magnus demanded. "Child! I'm the one who released you, so I should be the one giving you orders! Tell ya what, if you grab my hoof, I'll take you somewhere that no pony will bother you, I promise." Sweetie Belle persuaded. "Alright fine, but make it quick." Magnus said. He hesitantly touched hooves with Sweetie Belle, allowing her to teleport the two of them away.

Little did Sir Magnus know that their destination would be the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse. For a filly unicorn, Magnus was a little surprised that she knew some decent magic. "We're finally here, how do ya like it?" Sweetie Belle asked, hoping that the warrior was pleased. "For some reason, I find it rather pleasing in here." Magnus remarked. "By the way, Sir Magnus. Is it okay if you show me your cutie mark?" Sweetie Belle curiously asked. "Your armor is covering your flank." "I know nothing about cutie marks, but if you desire to see it so desperately, then I shall reveal what I lack." Magnus adjusted the left side of his armor to reveal something very unexpected. Sweetie Belle was alarmed but secretly happy with what she saw. "Oh my gosh! You don't have a cutie mark!" she exclaimed. "I beg your pardon young one, but why is this so alarming to you?" Magnus questioned. "Don't worry, it's not a bad thing. Honestly, I think it makes you very special." said Sweetie Belle. She was already walking over to a crate and brought out a cloth with a symbol in the center. "Sir Magnus Wonderhoof, I present to you the cape of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Sweetie Belle said as she tied the cape around Magnus's neck. "I feel honored. If I may ask, what is your name?" the warrior asked. "The name's Sweetie Belle." "Thank you very much for the gift, young Sweetie Belle." "As a proud member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, I shall forever wear this cape with pride and bring justice for the good. Hoorah!"

"Sweetie Belle darling, are you in there?" Rarity's voice called out. When Sweetie Belle poked her head out the entrance, Twilight and Rarity were on the ground looking at her. "Sweetie Belle, I'm glad your safe but please bring Magnus out of there." Twilight pleaded. "No! He's my friend!" she retorted. "And besides, how did you know we were here?" "It's your favorite place to hang out, of course we would know to look here." Twilight chuckled. Sweetie Belle and Sir Magnus reluctantly came down from the clubhouse to confront Twilight. "As I was saying. Sir Magnus, I apologize if this comes out the wrong way, but you're a statue and we need to get you back to Canterlot Castle." "I've heard enough of this statue talk. If this is true, then prove it once and for all." Twilight showed a flier containing a picture of the Sir Magnus statue. He was very stunned and shook up when he saw the image. "You speak the truth... I, am, a statue..." "But how can this be?" Twilight touched her hoof on Magnus's chest, which made the talisman glow inside of him. "Motion to the motionless. The power of the Rat talisman."

Unknown to Twilight and her friends, The Dark Hoof had managed to get out of Manehattan and to the outskirts of Ponyville, close to where the crusader clubhouse resided. Since Tohru was wearing the talisman seeker, they knew where they needed to go to find the Rat talisman. They hid in the bushes and behind some big trees to keep their cover. "That guy looks way to gnarly to be working for Canterlot." said Chow. "He has what we need, that's all that matters." Tohru said as the dragon pendant around his neck was glowing red. Finn felt his comm orb vibrating in his white jacket, so he went ahead and pulled it out. "I assume that you've found the talisman." Trixie commented, as her face and Shendu appeared in the orb. "Good news T, we found our target." Finn confirmed. He held the orb so that Trixie could see Sir Magnus interacting with Twilight and the others. "If he has the talisman, why isn't he using any cool powers?" Ratso observed. "That's because the power of the Rat is keeping him alive you buffoon!" Shendu answered. "Now retrieve the talisman or you will suffer the consequences!" The comm orb deactivated, and Finn tucked it back into his coat.

All the enforcers except Tohru leaped out from the bushes and confronted the heroes. "The Dark Hoof! We need to get out of here!" Twilight freaked out. "I will deal with them." Magnus confidently stated. "Looks like we get to smash the tough one after all." Chow said in an arrogant tone. "Cough up the rock or taste the dirt, blondie!" Finn antagonized. The three enforcers ran side by side and charged at Sir Magnus. "Immobilizer spell!" Magnus shouted as his horn glowed. In a quick instant, Finn, Ratso, and Chow were frozen stiff and could not even budge an inch. Their bodies tipped over like dominos and remained on the ground. Tohru came from behind a tree, and had a piercing look in his eyes. He was equipped with brass gauntlets on his front hooves, and clashed them together, showing that he was ready to brawl. "Grrr." Tohru growled as he flared and his nostrils and breathed heavily out his nose. Not feeling threatened at all, Magnus leaped in the air, and used his back legs to drop kick and knock out Tohru. "Wow Sir Magnus, you rock! No pun intended." Sweetie Belle said. Before anyone could start celebrating, Shadowkhan ninjas rose from the ground and swarmed the area. There was about 20 of them total, more than enough to put Rarity and Twilight in a bind. "This isn't good, we're easily outnumbered." said Rarity.

"You must go. In order to ensure your safety, I shall stand against these fiends as long as I able. I ask that the three of you retreat back to the castle, and protect this world from the forces of darkness. "I understand, thank you." Twilight answered. "Rarity, Sweetie Belle, we need to go now." "But what about the-" "Trust me on this, I know what he's doing." Twilight said to Rarity. The three heroes took off running in the direction towards Canterlot Castle. "Goodbye, my friend." Magnus quietly said, looking at Sweetie Belle with a smile. Shortly after, the powerful sentry began blasting the attacking ninjas with his magic, strong enough to keep most of them away from his personal space. "We can't just leave him!" Sweetie Belle pleaded as they continued to flee. "Do you think we want to? He's royal property of the princess that we swore to find." Rarity said back. "Those creatures are drawn to the talisman, which is why Magnus is giving himself up. Believe me, he's doing this for you." Twilight added. As the Shadowkhan drew in closer and swarmed around Magnus, the Rat talisman glowed inside of his chest. Accepting his fate, Magnus grabbed the talisman from inside, pulled it out, and hurled it in the air as far as he could throw in the direction that the unicorns were running. While running, Sweetie Belle opened her mouth, and caught the talisman in her teeth with perfect timing. Sir Magnus Wonderhoof positioned himself, and slowly reverted back to being a stone statue. As expected, the Shadowkhan retreated into the shadows, knowing that they could not catch up to the escaping ponies. A tear ran down Sweetie Belle's eye as she watched the hero become permanently inanimate.

An hour later, Princess Celestia's royal guards had managed to find the statue of Sir Magnus and brought it back to the castle courtyard. "The talisman is locked away, and we got back the statue. I'd say we did a pretty good job, right?" Twilight said with a smile. "Yeah, I guess so." Sweetie Belle groaned. "Oh my, I didn't see that before." Rarity observed. "Sweetie Belle, you should take a look. I think you'll be very happy." Twilight said, trying to cheer up her young friend. Without saying anything, Sweetie Belle looked up at the Sir Magnus statue. To her surprise, He was still wearing the Cutie Mark Crusaders cape, and somehow, he even had a brand new cutie mark on his flank which was the Crusaders insignia. Seeing this turned Sweetie Belle's frown into a big smile. "Hoorah!" she shouted with enthusiasm.

Update: I apologize for the delayed chapter upload. Thank you very much for your time and patience, and I really hope you're all enjoying the fanfic.


	9. Chapter 8: Hooves of Fury

Chapter 8: Hooves of Fury

"We're... almost there, Fluttershy." Twilight painted. "But Twilight, we've been walking for miles up this mountain. Shouldn't we take a break?" Fluttershy suggested while catching her breath. Twilight and Fluttershy had been scaling Smokey Mountain for about an hour in search of the Dragon talisman. It was a good advantage for them because they had been on the mountain before and they were no stranger to the red dragon that dwelled inside the peak. "Maybe we should just teleport all the way to the top of the mountain." Fluttershy suggested. "That's easier said than done. I don't know the mountain by heart, and one bad landing could be very fatal for us. We're safer scaling the mountain by hoof." Twilight explained. "Oh my, I think we made it." said Fluttershy as they both made it off the hilly part of the mountain path.

Sure enough, the two adventurous ponies had also made it to the entrance of the dragon's cave. "I'll take the lead from here Fluttershy. Once we confront the dragon, you'll be the one to talk to him." Twilight instructed. "Me, talk a big red scary angry dragon into giving up the talisman!? Fluttershy protested. "Just believe in yourself. You've calmed him down before, and I'm sure you won't be a stranger this time." Twilight said with motivation. "But stay close behind in here; we might not be alone..." Twilight forewarned. They journeyed a little deeper in the cave and after only a few minutes they came to the dragon's den. As the ponies looked around, they were so amazed by hoard of coins, gems, and bullion piled up that could make a single pony the richest in Equestria. "I don't remember the dragon having this much gold before." Twilight observed. "He's probably not here right now. Maybe we just-" Suddently, a loud breathing noise echoed throughout the cave which gave Fluttershy goosebumps. Adding to the frightening sound, a pair of big eyes and nostrils opened up inside the massive hill of coins. Treasure started to shift and pour out like an ocean wave as the ferocious red dragon awakened from his slumber.

"Who dares awaken me from my slumber!" the red dragon roared. "Umm, pardon me Mr. Dragon. I hope you had a very nice warm nap, but we REALLY need-" "I can already tell why you're here!" the dragon interrupted Fluttershy. "You... can!?" Fluttershy squeaked. "You're here because you seek the talisman that resembles the dragonkin." the dragon barked. "Yes we are but- hey how did you know we came for that!?" Twilight cut in. "A group of four disrespectful ruffians demanded that I relinquish the talisman to them." the red dragon stated. "Hmm, it must have been the Dark Hoof. There's no pony else that fits the horseshoe." Twilight assumed. "Nevertheless, they stood no chance against strength, and I made sure that they'd never set their filthy hooves in my dominion ever again!" The red dragon tilted his head up and shot out a stream of fire from his mouth; showing how angry he was just thinking about the Dark Hoof enforcers. "Hmph, too bad for them, there was no talisman for them to steal, so it was a wasted effort." "Hold on a sec, are you saying that you don't have the Dragon talisman!?" Twilight interrogated. "Well, I do, but..." "Let me guess, it was stolen by someone else, wasn't it." Twilight rhetorically guessed. "Sigh... correct." the red dragon humbly admitted.

"So sorry that happened, I guess we shouldn't bother you any longer." Fluttershy politely apologized. "Wait stop, there's more that I need to tell you." the dragon begged. "Oh certainly, Mr. Dragon." Fluttershy smiled. "Please listen carefully. It was only three days ago that the talisman was stolen from my hoard of treasure. Around midnight, a noise woke me up and I saw that the talisman had been busted out of my treasure safe. I saw movement towards the mouth of the cave, but by the time I got there the thief was gone all the sudden. "It must've been a unicorn to get away that easily. Only a teleportation spell can allow such an escape." Twilight ascertained. ""Should you find the talisman, it is all yours. I can sense that there is a greater purpose for the two of you to find it." the dragon said. "Wow Mr. Dragon, it's been great listening to your story." Fluttershy added. "But we should let you get back to your privacy." "I'm sure Princess Celestia will be very glad that you helped us today." said Twilight. "One more thing. I'd be more than happy to bring both of you back to where you need to go." the dragon offered. "Yes, that would be terrific! Thank you sir!" Twilight said, showing lots of gratitude.

The group arrived outside the cave and onto the area that overlooked the entire mountain. Twilight and Fluttershy climbed onto the dragon's back, and secured themselves so that they would not fall. "Hold on tight, there could be some rough wind current." the dragon warned."But I promise I'll fly straight to make sure you two don't fall." "We're ready!" Twilight and Fluttershy shouted at the same time. The dragon spread his wings to full span and took flight in the direction of Canterlot.

In the Dark Hoof hideout, the pretentious Trixie had gotten herself into another argument with her dubious associate, Shendu. "You're getting weaker and weaker at your job, Trixie. At this rate it will be 100 years before you acquire all twelve talismans." Shendu patronized. "For your information Shendu; it would seem that the Dragon talisman was already taken by someone before Sparkle or my enforcers arrived. Something that YOU should have already known if you're such an all knowing and all powerful demon." Trixie fired back. "Silence! You have made enough excuses to hide your laziness and lack of initiative." Shendu snapped. "I hope you haven't been dreaming too much about the priceless lost treasure because at this rate, it will never become your reality!" Trixie's eyes started to twitch and her patience for Shendu's berating was slipping away.. "You stupid dragon! I'll have you know that I am the Great-and-Powerful-" Trixie was charging up her horn with energy as she argued back, but then five Shadowkhan jumped from the ceiling and surrounded Trixie. "I would rethink that if I were you..." Shendu taunted. Realizing that she would get beat easily, Trixie yielded the magic from her horn "Tch! This, isn't, over!" Trixie sneered as she stormed out of the room. Every pony in the building heard the irate mare hurry down the stairs and slam the front door. Finn, Ratso, and Chow were in the kitchen playing poker and were listening to all the commotion that went on the floor above them. "Whoah, no one gets under Trixie's skin that easily." Ratso commented. "Maybe now she'll stop talking to that yellow bellied excuse of a dragon." Finn remarked with a curt tone. "Don't think I can't hear you down there!" Shendu yelled back. The three enforcers awkwardly looked up at the ceiling and just shrugged. "Hey, at least he can't see what we're doing." Chow chuckled.

Trixie power walked down the sidewalk, still shaking off the adrenaline rush she had from her argument. "That arrogant dragon! Who does he think he is talking to the Great-and-Powerful Trixie with that tone! If I had it my way, I would smash that spoiled sharp-tongued good-for-nothing egotistical snake." While Trixie was blowing steam, a paper airplane flew into her flank and poked her. "Ow, what the-" In her peripheral vision, she saw a shadow move quickly towards an alleyway. "Hmph, I'll deal with him later. But I'll read this anyway." she said to herself. The paper contained the following message:

"Meet me at the Rusty Horseshoe 6 pm sharp." -Your secret ally

Trixie looked over at the giant Manehattan Clock Tower to check the time. "Hmm, only 5:30. No problem, I can wait it out for a bit." she said to herself. Trixie continued down the sidewalk while still thinking things out about Shendu and the talismans.

During this time, Twilight and Fluttershy were enjoying the aerial ride on the dragon's back. It was a new experience for them, and they even felt like the dragon was starting to see them as friends. "There it is, that's Canterlot!" Twilight pointed out. "Prepare for landing then." the dragon acknowledged. He lowered his altitude and landed in front of the drawbridge; the main entrance to the kingdom of Canterlot. "I can only bring you this close. I don't want to draw too much attention." said the dragon. "That's perfectly fine, thank you so much for bringing us here. It saved a lot of time and energy." said Twilight. "I must be going now. I wish the best of luck to both of you noble ponies. Farewell." the dragon waved. "Goodbye Mr. Dragon." Fluttershy answered back. Twilight and Fluttershy waved as the dragon took flight and flew towards the horizon. "Come on, we have to inform Princess Celestia. " Twilight stated. The heroes hustled to the castle as quickly as they could.

To their surprise, a Canterlot sentry was patrolling the front of the stairs. "What business do you have here in Canterlot Castle?" the guard questioned."We need to speak to the princess right away." Twilight answered. "It's an emergency. Please tell us where Princess Celestia is." Fluttershy pleaded. "Very well. Our highness did seem preoccupied in her mind. Anyway, you can find her in the library. Whatever it is you need to take care of, make it quick." said the guard. "Thank you sir." Twilight said as she and Fluttershy hurried up the main staircase.

It was easy enough for Twilight and Fluttershy to find the library since they had been inside Canterlot Castle so many times. When they finally arrived, Princess Celestia was busy rearranging books, but she still turned her attention to the heroes. "I'm glad to see the two of you back unharmed. Any luck finding the Dragon talisman?" Princess Celestia asked with high interest. "Not quite as expected. The dragon didn't even have it anymore. He said that someone else stole it from him, but it wasn't the Dark Hoof." Twilight summarized. "He really didn't have it, honest! If he did, I know he would've trusted us." Fluttershy assured. "I see. I applaud your efforts regardless of the outcome. However, based on what you just said, I can only think of four ponies skilled enough to rob a dragon without breaking a sweat." Celestia told them. "Who would they be, if you don't mind me asking." asked Fluttershy. "Twilight, Luna, myself, and one other." "Hmm, a pony clever enough to outwit a dragon. Hold on a minute, you don't mean..." "Yes Twilight, the top leader of the Dark Hoof." Princess Celestia answered.

The wise mentor levitated a book from her personal bookcase which contained profiles of Equestria's greatest villains. Celestia flipped through the pages and came to the profile page of the Dark Hoof. In the middle stood a fine looking unicorn; who had a caramel colored coat, blue eyes, a white mane tied in a ponytail, and he wore a green suit with a yellow tie. His cutie mark was a large diamond which was probably a sign of his desire for wealth. "There he is. The leader, Valmont." Celestia pointed out. "Oh my, he doesn't look very nice." Fluttershy commented. Twilight was strangly fascinated with the way Valmont was posed in the picture, as if she felt a familiar presence coming from the picture. "The way he's looking back, he kind of reminds of somepony I've known before, but I can't quite put my hoof on who." Twilight said quietly to herself. "I'm sorry, did you say something, Twilight?" Princess Celestia asked. "Oh... nothing. Just thinking out loud." Twilight giggled. Celestia perked her eyebrow with skepticism about Twilight's comment, but she shrugged it off anyway. "With that said Twilight, I need you and your friends to track down Valmont." the princess instructed. "However, I must warn you though that he is indeed an ace unicorn, and he will acquire whatever he wants by any means necessary." "Um, we probably just stay as far away from him. He sounds rather dangerous." said Fluttershy. "But fear not. Although he may fight dirty when you confront him, the friendship and courage that keeps you bonded will allow you to prevail over anything." Celestia said with high confidence. "I promise we'll do everything we can to stop him." Twilight said with determination.

"I don't mean to be of a bother, but don't you think it's getting kind of late." Fluttershy said to Twilight. "Oh, yeah I guess you're right about that, Fluttershy. We should be on our way now, Princess Celestia. I'll be prepared first thing in the morning." Twilight said. "I wish all of you the best of luck. And remember to always look out for each other." Princess Celestia advised. Twilight and Fluttershy bid farewell to the princess and exited the castle on their way to the train station.

"It was 6:00 and Trixie was already settled in at the Rusty Horseshoe tavern. She was sitting at the bar area eagerly waiting for the unexpected guest. "Whoever this stranger is, he should be here by now." Trixie muttered to herself. Suddenly, Trixie instinctively sensed that she was being watched from behind. Looking around, she saw a pony wearing a hooded cloak in the corner close to the restroom. "That's him alright, I'd better approach him without too much disturbance." Trixie thought. "Ah, so glad you could join me today, Miss Great-and-Powerful Trixie." the hooded pony greeted. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Trixie interrogated. "No need to be so hasty, young niece." "Niece? But the only pony that would call me that is-" "That's right. It is I." The pony removed his hood and revealed himself to be none other than the notorious Valmont. "We don't want to cause any trouble here." he whispered as he put his hood back on. "I'm a wanted criminal with a huge bounty in Manehattan. Quickly, we must leave."

After leaving the tavern, Trixie and Valmont still had to keep a low profile so instead of walking down the streets and sidewalks, they traversed through alleyways. While doing so, Trixie was summarizing everything that was going on with the Dark Hoof. "And that's why my men and I are stuck with that scaly lizard Shendu. Even though he promised to reward us this sacred lost treasure, I'm starting to not trust him as much as I used to." Trixie stated. "Hmm, perhaps this might be what you're looking for?" Valmont implied. He reached in his hidden pocket and pulled out something Trixie would have guessed nobody else would have; the coveted Dragon talisman. "That's impossible! How did you get that!?" Trixie freaked out. "Now now, Trixie. They don't call me the grandmaster of the Dark Hoof for nothing." Valmont bragged. "But I can be certain about one thing. If you join me, rest assured that I will make you rich!" "I'd be more than happy to join you, Uncle Valmont." Trixie confirmed, but paused for a few seconds. "Then again Shendu does have the lost treasure of... whatever that name was." "Think about the future of the Dark Hoof. Do you really like the idea of you and our enforcers being treated like trash by an firebreathing statue? So what who will it be; the dragon demon or your destiny?" Valmont proposed with his hoof reaching out to her.. Trixie made eye contact with her uncle, and joined her hoof with his. "Consider it done." Trixie answered.

The following morning, Twilight was up at 8:00 finishing her breakfast. Spike was still asleep, and because of Twilight's agenda, she did not want to wake him up yet. "Things could get very dangerous today. I don't want to put Spike in a bad situation, or worse." Twilight said to herself. After quickly brushing her teeth and getting cleaned up, Twilight went downstairs to leave the library. However, as soon as she opened the front door, Twilight saw police ponies running as fast as they could towards the south part of Ponyville.

"I have a bad feeling about this. I'd better follow them." Twilight decided. After running for about 10 minutes following the police, she arrived at the scene where the Ponyville City Bank had been partially destroyed. A crowd of ponies were gathered outside, and within the crowd were her five closest friends. "Bout time ya showed up, sugarcube." Applejack said. "We were worried that you might have overslept a bit, but with you here we should be able to solve the crisis." Rarity stated. "Listen girls. We may be in for one of our biggest challenges yet. If this is the Dark Hoof's doing, there's a very high chance that we may run into their leader, Valmont." Twilight explained. "Ooooo! This Valmont guy sounds like another super villain like all the other ones we fought before! But no need to fear, we all need a good laugh in the face of danger!" Pinkie Pie said with excitement. "Actually Pinkie Pie, we really shouldn't be underestimating him. Princess Celestia said that he's a really bad pony." Fluttershy professed. "First things first. We need to question the bankers and make sure we find out everything that happened here. Follow me." Twilight commanded.

The group of ponies made it through the crowd and got inside the bank where they saw an entire wall completely destroyed. The door of the giant empty vault had also been blasted off and most of the metal was melted. "Pardon me sir, did you see who was responsible for all this." Twilight asked one of the bankers. "Yes, there were six ponies total that robbed us about an hour ago. One of them looked like he was the legendary leader of the Dark Hoof." the banker described. "It must be Valmont. Another thing, did he use any strange magic to destroy the vault?" Twilight continued to interrogated. "There was magic involved, but I don't think it was cast by the leader. There was a blue unicorn mare that had a yellow aura all around her body, and she had the look in her eye like she was ready to snap any minute." the banker further explained. "I swear in all of Equestria, I have never seen anypony look so possessed." "Thank you sir. That's all we need to know." Twilight said with gratitude.

The six ponies left the bank but they still were not quite sure what they needed to do next to catch the Dark Hoof. "We really need to come up with a plan fast. There's no telling where or when the Dark Hoof will strike next." Rarity stressed. "You're right about that Rarity, but I know there has to be someplace that the Dark Hoof won't be able to resist going after." Twilight surmised. Rainbow Dash scratched her head as she tried to come up with an idea. Suddenly, a light bulb beamed in her brain. "Hold on! The banker said that it's only been an hour since the robbery occurred. And imagine how much money and gold they have that's slowing down their movement!" Rainbow Dash said with confidence. "But where exactly would they be going to now?" Fluttershy questioned. " "There ain't no chance of them usin' a public train. That would make em stick out like a sore hoof." said Applejack. "Oh dear, what other means of traveling could they use to get to Manehattan? Rarity sighed. "Oh, I know. A boat!" Pinkie Pie blurted out. "Pinkie Pie you're a genius! A boat makes complete sense!" Twilight complimented. "And the boat wouldn't be in Ponyville. It would have to be in Baltimare. It's the only other city with a pier." Twilight said with her analytical voice.

"Well that certainly settles our plan. We should head over to Baltimare now so we can stop those-" "Hold that thought, Rarity. I don't think it would be a good idea for all of us to go at once. We need to keep a low number so we don't blow our cover too easily." Twilight warned. "I think Twilight's got a good plan. Only three out of the five of us should tag along with her to take on those rotten apples." Applejack said. "So who wants to go with her?" "I'll go for sure cuz there's no way that Rainbow Dash is gonna miss out on all the action!" Rainbow Dash quickly answered. "I think I'll sit this one out, I'm still kind of worn out from yesterday." said Fluttershy. "I understand Fluttershy. You earned it. Applejack, I want you, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash to come with me." Twilight stated. "Count me in, sugarcube." Applejack said with affirmation. "Rarity, write a letter to Princess Celestia telling her that I'm going to Baltimare to trace down the Dark Hoof." Twilight instructed. "Understood." Rarity answered. "Alright girls, one for all and all for one!" The heroes circled each other and joined hooves. "Friendship is magic!" they all cheered. The ponies split into two groups to carry on what they knew they needed to do. Twilight's team embarked to the train station while Fluttershy and Rarity went back to their homes.

It was around 1 pm when the four pony team arrived in Baltimare. They had also managed to find the Dark Hoof loading all the stolen money onto a wooden cargo ship. Luckily for them, there were plenty of huge crates for the four of them to hide behind. "How in the world can they afford such a big boat?" Rainbow Dash wondered. "The Dark Hoof was such a big crime syndicate that each city had it's own local gang. They probably used that ship back when they were more active." Twilight assumed. "Shh! They're coming!" Pinkie Pie warned. Valmont was commanding the enforcers as they carried bags of gold onto the big ship. "Faster Tohru, we're on a tight schedule." Valmont bossed. "That's him, the big cheese." Twilight hinted. "You mean the hooligan that's talkin' all fancy?" Applejack asked. "Shh, be quiet Applejack!" Rainbow Dash said, trying to hush her friend. Even though their commotion was through loud whispers, Valmont could sense that they were not alone. His ear twitched and he had a sly smirk when he realized where the noise was coming from. "Trixie, I think we have some pests that need to be exterminated." Valmont said as pointed at the cargo crate the heroes were hiding behind. "Trixie? There shouldn't be a Trixie in the Dark Hoof." Twilight said to herself. "With pleasure, dear uncle." Trixie said back. She raised her right hoof and fired out a blast, which blew the entire crate to pieces. "Ha, too easy." Trixie smirked as she blew a puff of smoke from her hoof. "You haven't gotten rid of us yet!" Twilight answered back.

As the smoke and debris cleared away, Twilight and her friends stood firm and were unscathed from the explosion. "That was such an awesome shield you put up!" Rainbow Dash complimented to Twilight. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my arch-rival Twilight Sparkle. I was beginning to wonder when you would show up." Trixie said in her usual patronizing tone. "No.. it can't be! You're the Trixie that tried to show up my friends in Ponyville!" Twilight quickly realized. "That's right! And this is the perfect opportunity... for revenge!" Trixie antagonized. "I bet you're the one who destroyed the bank with the Dragon talisman! Which means that you're working for the dragon demon!" Twilight firmly accused. "There's one one mistake in your analysis, Sparkle. I don't take orders from that lazy dragon, and I no longer care about the talismans, except for this one." Trixie argued back. "I'll be waiting on that ship, if you dare to challenge me." Trixie ran to the cargo ship that had all of the stolen money on board. Tohru and the other enforcers stood guard at the plank, but Pinkie Pie jumped in to intervene. "Over here, you dumb flanks!" Pinkie Pie taunted. "Get her!" Finn yelled as all the enforcers ran to catch Pinkie Pie.

"Twilight, get on that cargo ship and catch Trixie. We'll deal with this uppity city slicker." Applejack said. "Got it. Be careful, girls." Twilight replied. The unicorn pursued for the boat, leaving Applejack and Rainbow Dash to deal with Valmont. "So, it looks like I'll be dealing with the two of you myself." Valmont said with secure confidence. He pointed his hoof out at both the country pony and the sporty pegasus, which was his way of saying that he will fight them at the same time. Applejack charged in first and attacked with her trademark apple-bucking kick, but Valmont was way too agile and dodged with ease. She followed up with a roundhouse kick and a reverse sidekick, but Valmont was still too evasive. He then countered with a spinning back kick and knocked Applejack down on the ground. "You'll pay for that!" Rainbow Dash shouted. The spunky pegasus took flight and zoomed at Valmont, but he instantly shielded himself with a magic barrier that electrocuted Rainbow Dash, stunning her for a bit. "Hmph, not even a challenge." Valmont smirked as he straightened his tie. "This battle is far from over!" Rainbow Dash snapped back. "You ain't gonna break us down that easily!" Applejack added. "Heh, amateurs. You just don't know when to admit defeat." Valmont said with a snarky tone.

While all the fighting was going on the harbor, Twilight made it to the cargo ship where she was destined to settle the score with Trixie Lulamoon."You still don't know when to quit, Twilight Sparkle." Trixie sneered. "I'll make sure your defeat goes down in history." Twilight, being the clever unicorn that she usually is, already thought of a sure way to defeat Trixie. It was a risky idea but it was worth it. "I'm not here to fight you. I know something's going o inside that head of yours." Twilight said. "Me? Inside, MY head!? I'll tell you what's going on! I have had to live with humiliation ever since you showed me up that night when the Ursa Minor attacked Ponyville!" Trixie snapped. "But tell me something Trixie, why do you need all this gold anyway?" Twilight asked, with the intention of taunting her rival. Twilight grabbed a bag of gold bits and thew it into the water. "How much was that one worth, a pair of glass hoof slippers?" "You wouldn't dare!" Trixie cried out. A vein started to pump in Trixie's forehead and her eyes narrowed with rage. Twilight did stop there. She continued to throw bag after bag of gold into the bay. "Let me guess, a one week vacation to Las Pegasus. Or maybe a brand new magic show stage for your performances." Twilight continuously provoked. "That does it! I'll finish you off RIGHT NOW!" Trixie screamed at the top of her lungs. A yellow aura glowed from Trixie's body as she charged up the Dragon talisman. She shot out a fire blast that Twilight barely dodged, which made Trixie blow a massive hole in the ship. "Uh...oh..." Trixie sighed, feeling utterly stupid. The entire ship sank fast from the weight of the remaining goal and both of the unicorns went down with the ship

Pinkie Pie had easily taken tare of Tohru and the other three enforcers, but then she noticed that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were barely standing from taking such a beating from Valmont. "Hmm, I wonder how I should put you two out of your misery." Valmont teased. "We... won't... give up..." Rainbow Dash breathed heavily. "That's right... we're... a team..." Applejack quietly said back. "How touching. I promise that your defeat will be quick and painless." Valmont maliciously said. "I hope you haven't forgotten about Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie called out from behind. Valmont quickly turned around and saw the pink pony running at him full speed. Valmont fired a magic missle and struck Pinkie Pie, but little did he know that she was using herself as a decoy. "Now your's chance! Finish him!" Pinkie Pie yelled out. Applejack and Rainbow Dash felt their adrenaline spark up, giving them the energy to run together at full throttle. At the same time, the two friends leaped in the air with a flying kick, and they both struck Valmont in the chest. The grandmaster of the Dark Hoof was knocked out cold and defeated by the elements of laughter, honesty, and loyalty.

"Whoah nelly! That finally takes care of that tough critter." Applejack said with relief. "Pinkie Pie, that was so awesome! You took one for the team!" Rainbow Dash praised the bubbly pony. "Aw, it was nothing. You're my friends." Pinkie Pie smiled. "Wait a sec, we're missing someone..." "TWILIGHT!" the three friends panicked. "Twilight!? Twilight!" the group called out, looking all around the dock. While the friends were looking out in the water, Valmont awakened from his knockout. The crook focused his energy into his horn and teleported out of sight. The other enforcers had also regained their composure and realized they had been defeated. "Let's get outta here." Finn said to the posse. All four of them took off without even looking back. Rainbow Dash looked around at all the busted up wood in the bay, and then spotted the unconscious Twilight floating in the water. The pegasus took flight and recovered Twilight from out of the bay and brought her back on solid ground. Fortunately, Twilight soon woke up, shook off the water from her body, and looked around. "Trixie.. is she okay?" Twilight asked. "Sorry sugarcube, we didn't find her anywhere." Applejack answered truthfully. "And what about Valmont? Did you beat him?" Twilight wondered. "Heck yeah! We whooped him good." Rainbow Dash bragged. After looking around, Rainbow Dash was surprised that Valmont was no where to be found. "Wait, he was right-" "It's no big deal. He probably escaped while you guys were looking for me." Twilight concluded "But what about all that money!?" Pinkie Pie stressed. "Don't worry. I'll let Princess Celestia know, and I'm sure that she and I will be able to get it out soon." Twilight answered. "Now's let's all go home." The close friends smiled at each other and nodded and then walked together towards the sun.

Meanwhile, after the gang was away from the scene, Trixie had climbed onto a dock, soaked. "I can't believe it... she beat me again!" Trixie scolded herself as she dripped with water and shook her whole body to dry off. Before Trixie could go anywhere, ten Shadowkhan ninjas appeared. Trixie had a funny feeling in her gut that they were not there to reinforce her. One of ninjas came up to Trixie, grabbed her hoof, and yanked the Dragon talisman from her grasp. Afterwards, the Shadowkhan took off and vanished. "Tch! I guess it's back to that old dump..." Trixie groaned.

End of Chapter 8:

Update: This chapter took longer than expected to make because I had so many differents ideas in mind. I wanted to make this chapter as awesome as possible because of Valmont's debut. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! =)


	10. Chapter 9: Talisman Diplomacy

Chapter 9: Talisman Diplomacy

It was a bitter cold journey for Twilight and Rainbow Dash as they adventured through the harsh snowy mountains of the Frozen North. They were lucky not to be caught in a blizzard but even so, their expedition was not a walk in the park. "How much longer Twilight? We've been at it for 2 hours since the crack of dawn and already and there hasn't been one sign of the talisman!" Rainbow Dash cried out. "Look on the bright side. We would be much colder had Rarity not made us these warm and toasty winter coats." Twilight said with genuine delight. "Yeah I know, but it's still cold, and I hate being cold! Plus I can't even use my wings with this coat over my body." Rainbow Dash complained even more. "According to Princess Celestia's locator spell, the Horse talisman is supposed to be somewhere in an icicle grotto." Twilight said. "Because we haven't seen any openings or entrances anywhere, there should only be one cave to look for."

For another good twenty minutes, the ponies searched even more. Just before Rainbow Dash felt the temptation to give up, she thought she caught a glimpse of something big up ahead. Whatever it was, Rainbow curiously narrowed her eyes to get a better view. Once the object got in focus, Rainbow Dash got excited. "Twilight, there's shelter straight ahead!" Rainbow Dash said as she used her sharp pegasus vision to look ahead. "Nice one, Rainbow Dash! We'd better get in there before it's too late." Twilight said eagerly. Both of them sprinted, knowing that the chances of finding the talisman just got even better.

Once the heroes arrived at the entrance, Twilight knew that things were still too good to be true.

"Stay alert at all times Rainbow Dash, this could get very dangerous." Twilight said with caution. "Ha! I laugh at the face of danger! If Daring Do were here, she'd say the same thing!" Rainbow Dash boasted. Twilight simply shook her head and thought her friend's reputation for being cocky. "Alright then, let's go inside."

Being inside an empty cave was not something new for Twilight or Rainbow Dash, but the only thing that seemed unusual was the climate itself. "This is just an ordinary cave, I don't see why a talisman would be in here." Rainbow Dash scuffed. "We've only been inside here for five minutes, we need to be patient and persistent if we're going to find it." Twilight reassured. "Twilight, snowy entrance at 12 o clock!" Rainbow Dash pointed out. "Let's check it out!" Even more excited then before, Twilight and Rainbow Dash hustled over to see where the opening lead to. At first they were only venturing through a dull cave; now they were inside of an enormous grotto.

"Oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh-oh-my-gosh!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with joy. Twilight and Rainbow Dash both had their eyes widen in awe as they gazed all around the incredible scenery of the grotto. There were large icicles up on the central ceiling that looked like they could fall any second. As dangerous as they looked, the magnificence of their surroundings was enhanced by the variety of crystals on the walls that sparkled with shine and luster. "Now this, is, so AWESOME!" Rainbow squealed, with her fangirl voice. The tomboy pony was so impressed with the architecture that she forgot all about the cold environment. "Rarity would be in heaven if she were here to see this." Twilight said with a light chuckle. "Anyway, the talisman has to be around here somewhere. I'll check the right area. Rainbow Dash, you take the left."

The heroes scoured through the tunnels, which were all intertwined with each other. They looked in every corner they came to, but Rainbow Dash and Twilight were not successful in finding the talisman. They returned back to the main hub point of the grotto to see if they could look together. "I really like this place and all, but now I'm starting to get bored with this search." said Rainbow Dash. "This kind of reminds me of the time when Fluttershy and I were looking for the Snake talisman in Neighagra Falls." Twilight said with visual memories flowing through her mind. "The only reason we found it was because Daring Do triggered a secret passage." "Well if you know how to find it, then hop to it Twilight!" Rainbow Dash said very anxiously. At the same time, she also slammed her front hooves on the ground . The moment Rainbow Dash did that, the largest icicle on the ceiling gave in to the vibration, causing it to crack and pummel very quickly. "Look out!" Twilight shouted. The two ponies barely dodged the velocity of the icicle which landed on the solid ground and busted into hundreds of pieces. "Phew, that was a close call. Rainbow Dash, please don't do that. That could've-"

Suddently, a loud rumble was felt on the ground and a trembling noise could be heard through the grotto. "Uh...oh..." Rainbow Dash said under her breath, feeling stupid for her action. Rocks and ice bits started to fall from the wall and the rumble was getting louder. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" Twilight shouted. Icicle's came crashing down, and crystals were shattering from the unstable force. Twilight ran like a jackrabbit, but Rainbow Dash on the other hand did not panic right away. She ran quickly over to the busted pile of the giant icicle shards, picked up an object, and sprinted right away. Only seconds after Rainbow Dash took off, an avalanche of snow and ice chunks came crashing out of the icy walls and chased after the pegasus like something out of a comic book. Moments later, Rainbow Dash finally caught up to Twilight and they were only a couple yards away from the exit. "We're almost there, get ready to jump out." Twilight said as they continued to run. The ponies leaped out of the cave exit right at the same time and landed in the thick snow. It was only a second afterward that the avalanche spewed out and missed them.

"Phew... we made it." Twilight painted. "I, could just lay here... for a while." Rainbow Dash said quietly while she collapsed in the snow. Even though the heroes survived the hazardous cave escape, they were not out of woods just yet. Out of rotten luck for the heroes, they were now surrounded by the Dark Hoof. "The talisman!" Tohru demanded. Twilight and Rainbow would have no problem dealing with the Dark Hoof enforcers under normal circumstances, but today was not their lucky day. They were still tired and fatigued from the life threatening pursuit out of the cave that they had no will to fight. "We don't have it, honest" Twilight said while trying to catch another breath. "I do not believe you!" Tohru barked "Just cough up the rock and we'll take it easy on you scrawny weaklings." Finn said in his cocky voice.

"I don't think so!" a loud heroic voice shouted. Every pony looked up in the same direction to see Shining Armor and his squad of sentries ready for battle. "Surrender now or face the power of Canterlot's royal brigade!" "Just try and make us!" Ratso yelled back. "Ratso, shut up!" Finn snapped. "Don't mind him, we'll be on our way now." Finn, Ratso, and Chow took off quickly to avoid getting apprehended by the guards. Tohru, however, was not as easy to intimidate and had a few words left before high-tailing. "This isn't over..." he said as he cast a piercing glare at Rainbow Dash and Twilight. Afterwards, he followed after his other brute friends. "Twili! Are you alright?!" Shining Armor said to his sister with concern. "Big brother, how did you find us all the way out here?" Twilight asked in confusion. "Actually, it wasn't me that knew to come out here. Princess Celestia and Cadance were talking about one of those talisman things and said that I should check up on you out here." Shining Armor explained.

Twilight had gathered all her strength back but she was still bummed about not finding the Horse talisman. "I hate to be the barer of bad news, but we couldn't find the talisman." she admitted. "You mean YOU didn't find it." Rainbow Dash said with a big grin. "What are you... no way!" Twilight could not believe that Rainbow Dash was holding the sought after Horse talisman right in her own hoof. "It turns out when I made that huge icicle crash down, it wasn't a mistake after all. It was inside of it the whole time!" said Rainbow Dash. "You really do know how to be awesome at times, don't you." Twilight complimented. "Yeah, I get that a lot. It's what I do." Rainbow Dash boasted. Twilight showed her stoic look after hearing her friend brag, but nevertheless, she was grateful for what Rainbow Dash accomplished. "I'll escort both of you back to Ponyville. Princess Cadance would really like to talk to you, Twili." "I couldn't agree anymore on that, Shiny." Twilight said back. The gang followed the other Canterlot guards out of the Frozen North back to where they could finally get out of the cold.

Later that morning, the enforcers returned to the hideout expecting to get scolded by their master. However, Lady Luck was on their side today because Trixie was not in a bad mood. "Look Great T. "We had Sparkle out for the count, but these goody good heroe wannabes swarmed us quickly, and if it wasn't for that we would've definitely scored the talisman. Honest!" Finn stated. "I know Finn, I know." Trixie answered back. "I'm not upset this time. Nobody is at fault. It's only the Horse talisman. You win some, you lose some." "Now that I really think more about it, I don't know if we're really good at being bad guys." Ratso commented. Chow bumped Ratso in the shoulder, signaling him to stay quiet. "This is exactly why none of you pitiful ponies can accomplish a simple task." Shendu said, cutting into the conversation. "The fact that you all give too much credit to your enemies is the sole reason for you constant failure. With your lack of skill and intuition, none of you would last five minutes in the world and era that I'm from." "Seriously Shendu, only you would be so pessimistic. We have already acquired two talismans, thanks to my men who found the Sheep and my uncle and I who retrieved the Dragon. Besides, that's quite the achievement, if I say so myself." Trixie said with a confidence smirk.

"Do not take me for a fool!. The only reason you returned to me is because you don't have that buffoon Valmont to help you out anymore." Shendu fired back. "And if I remember correctly, you did not give the Dragon talisman back by your own will. It was my slaves of darkness that confiscated it from you greedy hooves." Trixie could not think of a better comeback to make because of Shendu's accurate read on her motives. Suddenly, Trixie stopped and zoned out for a moment. After she came back to her senses, Trixie had in mind a new plan; a very big and cunning idea."Well, perhaps Ms. Sparkle could be persuaded. An ultimatum is the only possible thing that will put her loyalty to the test." Trixie calculated. "Now you're starting to think big for once. It's about time you showed more of your devious side." Shendu said, praising Trixie's malicious idea. "Come closer and I will reveal to you one of my secret weapons." Trixie walked up closer to Shendu, who then summoned a Shadowkhan from the floor. The ninja held out a draconic clear flask which contained an orange liquid. "This is what you will need to ensure a successful plan." the evil demon stated. "Think of this as a reward for your current progress."

Twilight made it back to Ponyville in one piece to recover from her episode in the Frozen North. After an hour to rest up, she had contacted Princess Cadance to have an early lunch with her at the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight had not seen her former foal-sitter since the Canterlot Wedding, and there was certainly a lot they had to discuss. When she heard the door knock, Twilight hastened down the stairs to greet Cadance, and she already knew exactly how they would greet each other. "Sunshine sunshine lady bugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Twilight and Cadance hugged after finishing their friendly greet. "I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for you and Shining Armor." said Twilight. Princess Cadance smiled from the compliment, butt she had no desire to take all the credit. "No Twilight, we should be thanking you. You're the reason why Queen Chrysalis and her changeling army were uncovered and banished from Canterlot." "Canterlot... now why was I thinking about... oh my gosh! The talisman!" Twilight alarmed herself. "Are you talking about the magic talismans my aunt entrusted you to find?" Cadance asked with one eyebrow perked. "Actually, I have one right here." Twilight led Princess Cadance over to her library table to show and talk about the Horse talisman, hoping they could find out its power.

"Rainbow Dash and I acquired this one while we were venturing through the Frozen North. Not a single one of these talismans has been an easy find for us. We have six and the Dark Hoof has two, giving a total of eight so far. Only four remain." Twilight summarized. "And to make things even more complicated, each talisman has strange markings that make no sense to me." Twilight flipped over the talisman to show Princesss Cadance the weird symbols on the back side. "I would have to be Star Swirl the Bearded to know exactly where the talismans originated from." "It could be that the markings explain the unique magic within each talisman." Cadance assumed. "Princess Celestia also believes the same thing, so it's probably the most reasonable guess." Twilight added. "When I first learned about the talismans, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both said that they think the dragon demon and the talismans are not governed by Equestrian Magic." "In that case, the demon might be from a completely different universe." Cadance said, finishing Twilight's for her. Speaking of which Twilight, what are some of the powers that you have discovered so far?"

"Hmm, let's see now. Rooster is leviation, Ox is strength, Snake is invisibility, Rabbit is speed-" "That's it!" Cadance interrupted, without trying to be rude. "Each talisman has a unique magic that correlates to the animal that it symbolizes. Rooster's can fly, bull's are strong, snakes can camoflauge, and rabbits run very fast." "Wow Cadance! I think you're right. You really do have a niche for talismans." Twilight complimented. "If you'd like me to Twilight, I could take the talisman back to Princess Celestia myself." Cadence suggested. "Good idea. That way if the bad guys show up, they won't have a clue where it is." Twilight said. "Exactly right! Twilight, I want you to know that I will do absolutely anything I can to help you in any way possible." Cadance said, wanting Twilight to feel more appreciated. The two close friends hugged for a few seconds and said their goodbyes.

While Twilight was enjoying a cup of tea at her desk, she heard a knock on the door. "Coming." Twilight said out loud. As soon as Twilight opened the front door, a strong blunt force struck her head from the side, and sent her down for the count.

Twilight gained consciousness and slowly eased herself up from the ground. "Ow... where am I? Looks like I'm inside an abandoned warehouse." Twilight guessed. "Ah, glad you're awake now. I hope my assistant didn't break your jaw with his sucker punch." an arrogant voice spoke from behind. Twilight turned around 180 degrees and saw Trixie standing nearby with a sinister grin. "Trixie? What is the meaning of this!?" Twilight questioned with anger. "Oh don't worry Miss Sparkle, we're not here to cause you any serious trouble. I'm just here to settle some diplomatic business with you." Trixie patronized. "I won't tell you anything, Trixie! I'll-" Before Twilight could loose her cool, a painful ache in her back affected her balance and made her fall over. Twilight got back up from the fall, but this time she kept quiet. "Tsk tsk tsk, it appears that the side effects of my petrifying poison are already kicking in. At this rate, you'll make a wonderful decoration for the Canterlot courtyard." Trixie teased. "You came all this way to Ponyville just to poison me? Look Trixie, I may be a bookworm on magic, but that doesn't mean I'm gullible." Twilight said defensively. Feeling eager to strike down Twilight's self-esteem, Trixie clopped her right hoof which signaled a Shadowkhan from behind. The ninja had a small flower in one hand, and then dripped an orange liquid from a vial on the flower. In about two seconds, the flower was completely turned to stone.

"As I was saying. The petrifying liquid you saw has also been used on your body while you were unconscious." Trixie stated. "And just to spare you the agony of research, there is no possible cure or counter-spell in all of Equestria that can reverse the effects of the curse; with the exception of this potion that only I and the rest of the Dark Hoof have control over." Trixie held out a small vial with a green liquid which appeared to be the antidote. Seeing this as an opportunity, Twilight instantly teleported behind Trixie, but her spell still was not quick enough. The Shadowkhan sprinted to Trixie's aid and roundhouse kicked Twilight on her cheek, knocking her down. "Just for your rude stunt you tried to pull, I hope that hurt." Trixie sneered. "You're very lucky that the poison works slower on ponies than it does on plants and insects." Twilight slowly got back up on all fours, still feeling the ache in her jaw from the solid kick. "Just tell me what you want Trixie! Ow" Twilight barked, knowing in the back of her mind that the talismans would be a stake. "It's simple. Surrender the six talismans that you have locked away in Canterlot and the antidote is all yours." Trixie answered. After listening to Trixie's ultimatum, the only reaction Twilight had was an aggressive scowl. "That look in your eyes tells me yes. In that case, my enforcers will be waiting for you at Hooffington Plaza in Manehattan. Be there at 11:50 pm sharp." Trixie instructed. "According to the time right now, which is 12:20 pm" Trixie said while looking at her pocket watch. "You have 11 and a half hours to make up your mind. Otherwise, you will be a target for the pigeons as soon as midnight strikes. And for your own sake, do show up on time. HM HM HM HM AH HA HA HA HA HA!

After finishing her diabolical and villainous laugh, Trixie and the Shadowkhan ninja exited through the large warehouse door, leaving Twilight by herself. "What am I going to do?... Princess Celestia and the others will freak out when they see me like this." Twilight sighed. She did not know what could be worse; giving the Dark Hoof all the talismans or living her life as a statue. Princess Celestia would never forgive her if she gave up to the enemy so easily. It would make her look selfish and weak-minded to so many levels. Unexpectedly, Twilight's muzzle began to feel numb, and then it turned into gray rock. "Hmph, just what I needed." Twilight groaned. With the limited amount of courage she still had, Twilight hurried out of the warehouse and embarked back home.

Twilight eventually made it back to the library hoping that she would be the only one home. Nevertheless, her number one assistant Spike had returned from his leisurely walk and was now snacking on gems. "Hey Twilight, what took you- Oh my gosh! What happened to your nose!?" Spike jumped in shock and dropped his sack of gems which spilled all over the floor. "Look, I can explain. Just stay calm and we'll get this taken care of." Twilight said, trying to keep the situation under control. "Calm down? How can YOU be calm when your nose is a rock!? We need to find a healing potion fast!" Spike panicked. "Well, that's the only problem. Trixie and the Dark Hoof attacked me from nowhere while I was at the front door and used a petrifying poison on me." said Twilight. "Petrifying? What does that word even mean?" Spike asked in confusion. "It means I'm gradually turning into stone." Twilight said back. "Anyway, Trixie said that she is the only one with the cure to my condition, and that the only way she'll give it to me is if I relinquish all the talismans we have."

"Hold on Twilight. This is Trixie we're dealing with. How do we know she's telling the truth?" Spike questioned. "That's pretty much what I had in mind too, Spike. We can't trust Trixie or her proposition, so we'll need to go with our gut instincts for this challenge." "Don't worry Twilight, I think I have an idea. In order to beat the Dark Hoof, we've got to think like the Dark Hoof." It was very rare that Spike came up with the strategic plans, but regardless who was master and who was the assistant, Twilight was curious herself to know what the baby dragon could come up with. "Alright Spike, I'm all ears." she said. "It's easy. We bring the talismans as collateral to get the antidote." Spike proposed. "The talismans!? Spike, you said you had a brilliant idea! THAT, IS, NOT, A BRILLIANT IDEA!" Twilight shouted out with the crazy deranged look on her face. "Calm down Twilight! I'm not finished! The talismans will actually be a decoy to distract the Dark Hoof while they exchange the antidote to me. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash zips in to nab back the talismans." "Okay, that actually is a clever plan Spike." Twilight said. "The only thing left to do is convince Princess Celestia to let us borrow the talismans. Spike, contact Rainbow and explain the situation to her. I will stay here while the two of you settle the score with the Dark Hoof." "Yes ma'am, you can count on your number one assistant!" Spike said with energy. The baby dragon hustled over to a nearby desk to write a letter to Rainbow Dash. Once he finished, Spike blew his fire breath on the letter which magically transferred to Cloudsdale. In less than a minute, the tomboy pegasus had busted through the front door.

"You called, I came! Who's ready to get even with the Dark Hoof!" said Rainbow Dash. "We need to go to Canterlot right away, Rainbow Dash. The sooner we get this done, the earlier we can cure Twilight." Spike said. "Please be careful you two. The Dark Hoof will surely have a plan up their sleeve as well." Twilight warned. "Yeah yeah, we got it." Rainbow Dash said back as she and Spike walked out the front door. "Hmm, I worry about those two." Twilight sighed. Suddenly, Twilight felt the same numb and aching feeling like went her nose turned to stone but this time it was in her ears. "Oh great, now I have to worry about myself." she groaned.

After many hours passed through the day, Spike and Rainbow Dash were just getting near Hooffington Plaza to settle their deal with the enforcers. Finn, Ratso, Chow, and Tohru were already in the wide open area waiting for them to arrive. Before making themselves seen, the brave heroes hid behind a booth to review their plan one last time. "Remember Rainbow Dash, make your move AFTER I get the antidote from those thugs." Spike reminded. "Got it!" Rainbow Dash saluted. She darted out of sight to take cover away from the open area. Spike proceeded to confront the enemies and take care of business. The enforcers looked a little skeptical when they saw Spike instead of Twilight, but either way they just wanted the talismans. "Alright, I've got the goods. Now show me the antidote." Spike ordered. Tohru reached in his overall pocket to get out the vial containing the antidote but he still did not have any intention on giving Spike the advantage. "The talismans!" Tohru demanded. "Alright then, here they are." Spike said, holding open his bag with all six of the talismans. Tohru still had a very stern look in his eyes, which indicated that Spike had to be the one to approach and make the first move. Spike walked over and placed the bag in front of Tohru, who then picked it up to examine each talisman. Tohru looked at the Rooster, Ox, Snake, Rabbit, and Rat; checking to make sure they weren't counterfeits. "One is missing..." Tohru pointed out. "That can't be true. I cleared out the entire vault." Spike said. "Oh no, the Horse! Princess Cadance probably still has it!"

Tohru made a serious frown and held out the vial as if he could drop it any second. "If you give me the antidote, I swear I'll get the talisman for you! Honest!" Spike bluffed, hoping Tohru would buy into it. Seeing through the obvious lie, Tohru let go of the vial and made it so that it would fall quickly. Instantaneously, a rainbow blur zipped through and caught the vial before it hit the concrete. "Wow, good timing!" Spike said, feeling very relieved the vial did not break. "No need to fear, your old pal Rainbow Dash is here!" Rainbow Dash said, trying to feel heroic. Reacting quickly, Tohru tossed once talisman to each of his gang buddies to power them up. Finn got the Rooster, Ratso got the Snake, and Chow got the Ox. Tohru kept the Rabbit for himself and left the Rat in the bag. "Time to use some power up. Oh yeah!" Finn said with confidence. Rainbow Dash and Spike were ready to make a run for it, but then they turned around and saw the enforcers attempting to activate the talismans. Through the awkward silence, crickets chirped as Finn, Ratso, Chow, and Tohru stood their looking completely clueless as to why the talismans would not power up. Tohru, being the smart one of the group realized the cause of the unexpected turn of events. "They're fake!" he shouted. "Oh.. well, in that case, we're outta here. Bye!" Spike said. He jumped on Rainbow Dash's back and she took flight in the direction of Ponyville. The Dark Hoof enforcers stood helplessly and realized they were the ones who got duped. "We really need to get part times jobs." Ratso said trying to cheer the guys up. "Just shut up already." Finn sneered.

Rainbow Dash and Spike made it as fast as they could back to Ponyville to cure Twilight of her condition. As soon as they opened the front door, they laid eyes upon something they were completely shocked to see. Twilight was cheerfully chatting with Princess Cadance like everything was normal. "Twilight! What happened!? You haven't turned to stone!?" Spike cried out. "Relax Spike, everything's okay now." Twilight said. "Cadance, you do the honors." "Though we thought it was very noble and creative of you to try and save Twilight, my aunt and myself believed it was too dangerous to entrust the real talismans to you when you were trying to make a deal with the Dark Hoof. We instead used proxies in case they tried to double-cross the two of you. Also, after testing out the Horse talisman with Princess Luna, we discovered that the unique power of the Horse talisman is healing, kind of like how unicorns can use their magic to cure certain poisons." Princess Cadance thoroughly explained. "So now we don't need to use Trixie's antidote anymore." Twilight said with a happy smile. "You two just barely missed it. It was so cool watching my stone body turn back to normal!" She held the Horse talisman with pride and smiled, while feeling grateful to both Cadance and Celestia for finding the cure. Rainbow Dash held out the green antidote and looked at it for a short moment, looked back at Twilight and Cadance, and then she and Spike slowly looked at each other. "WE DID ALL OF THAT FOR NOTHING!?" Rainbow Dash and Spike both cried out at the same time.

Twilight and Princess Cadance both busted out laughing with joy as they. Spike and Rainbow did not feel offended at all, and instead shared a good laugh with each other.


	11. Chapter 10: Pievolution

Chapter 10: Pievolution

Pinkie had just finished sweeping the floor and dusting the shelves while Mr. Carrot Cake and Mrs. Cup Cake were decorating a big birthday cake in the kitchen. "All done Mr. Cake." Pinkie Pie said to her kind landlord. "You've been working really hard around here, Pinkie Pie. I think you deserve a good vacation for all that you do." Carrot Cake said. "It must be very tiring to organize all those parties you host in Ponyville." Mrs. Cake added. "Aw, it's nothing!" Pinkie Pie smiled. "I just like making every pony happy, which makes me happy too!" "We'll be going to a birthday party for our nephew later this evening. But seriously Pinkie, we don't want you to overwork yourself. Enjoy the next couple of days without work." Mr. Cake said. "Thanks guys! I'm gonna go for a quick stroll." Pinkie said, while she exited the bakery.

"A vacation... hmm... I've always wondered what kind of vacation would be great for a party planner like myself." Pinkie thought "I could go to Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, oooohhhh, Las Pegasus! They have one of the best casino parties EVER!" She had already been walking around Ponyville for a while, daydreaming about vacation ideas. Pinkie unexpectedly crashed into the front door of the Golden Oak Library, the home of her close friend Twilight Sparkle. "Owie! That'll leave a mark." Pinkie Pie said to herself in embarrassment. "Coming." a voice spoke from behind the door. Twilight opened the front door and looked surprised to see Pinkie scratching a bump on her head. "Oh my Pinkie, are you alright!?" Twilight asked, trying to offer help. "No biggie, I was zoning out and all the sudden, I crash into your door." Pinkie said in her very fast Pinkie Pie expression, finishing with a wide happy squeaky grin. "Oookaaayyy... I guess you're alright then." Twilight said, getting a little creeped out. "Come on in. I was getting lonely anyway." Pinkie Pie walked in and made herself comfortable while Twilight prepared green tea for them to enjoy.

So has anything big been on your mind lately?" Twilight curiously asked. "Oh nothing. Mr. and Mrs. Cake just think I should take a break from all the hard work I do for them, that's all." Pinkie said, keeping it simple. "That's nice of them to let you do that. Do you already know what you'll be doing or where you might travel to, if you don't mind me asking?" Twilight asked politely. "That's the only thing holding me back is that I don't know what to do for a vacation!" Pinkie Pie panicked. "Pinkie, calm down! I can help you. I'm sure we can think of something for you to do for a vacation." Twilight insisted. Suddenly, Twilight had a breakthrough moment in her mind and knew what would make Pinkie Pie happy. "I have an IDEA! Pinkie, how about you come with me to find the next talisman!" Twilight said with excitement. "You mean those magic talismans that have crazy powers? Where would we be going?" Pinkie asked with eagerness. "The Everfree Forest." Twilight said. "Well... I don't know... Okay!" Pinkie answered happily. Twilight was weirded out by Pinkie being so happy-go-lucky about going to one of the eeriest places in Equestria. Then again, Twilight had to remind herself that she was dealing with the one and only Pinkie Pie. "Now that I think about it, we're coming very close to the end of our talisman quest." Twilight said with a smile. "It's been challenging, but also very memorable. We only have four left to find and it will all be over." "So that means we only have the Tiger, Pig, Dog, and Monkey left to find, right? Pinkie Pie guessed. "That's correct. Wait, how did you know that!?" Twilight said, finding it hard to believe Pinkie knew the remaining talismans. "Why wouldn't I; it was Princess Celestia that named all twelve from the very beginning, remember?" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"I think it would best if we get ready now. It won't be as dark during the day versus going at night." Twilight advised. "Fine by me." Pinkie replied. "But first, let's have some lunch. We don't wanna go hunting on an empty stomach." Twilight's stomach rumbled, which made her blush a little bit. "Hehe, that's not a bad idea." said Twilight.

Only an hour later, Twilight and Pinkie Pie were getting close to the mouth of the Everfree Forest, a place that no ordinary pony would be brave enough to explore. "We've been here so many times before, but for some reason I never get over my fear of this place." Twilight said, getting more nervous. "I know what will cheer you up. Giggle at the Ghosties is an all-time favorite for getting rid of the willies!" Pinkie Pie joyfully suggested. "Eh, thanks but no thanks." Twilight said, getting really turned off. "We've heard that only once before, and let's keep it that way. Now... time to get this over with..."

The two brave ponies entered the dark forsaken forest as they knew this was the only place to find the Monkey talisman. The thick trees made it difficult to tell what time of the day it was, making to so that it always felt like nighttime. Owls screeched, bushes rattled, any eerie sound from a typical horror story could be heard or imagined. After traveling about 2 miles deep within the forest, Twilight and Pinkie got out of the thick woods and came to a cliff with a broken bridge. "Pinkie, doesn't this bridge look familiar to you?" Twilight rhetorically asked. "No idea, Twilight. DOES IT look familiar?" Pinkie answered back with the same question. "Believe me, we've been here before. It's the same bridge that Rainbow Dash helped us cross to get to the Elements of Harmony." Twilight recalled. "Ohhhh yeah, now I remember!" Pinkie said, feeling the nostalgia build up. "She almost ditched us that time!" "But her loyalty conquered over Nitemare Moon's Shadowbolts, and that was a very courageous task for Rainbow Dash." said Twilight. "I already have what we need to get to the other side." Pinkie exclaimed. Twilight eyes widened in surprise when Pinkie made the clear statement, but of course she remembered not to question Pinkie's logic. "My party cannon!" Pinkie shouted in excitement, as she pulled out her trademark party cannon from out of nowhere. "Of course, who else besides Pinkie would have a party cannon." Twilight chuckled. "You get in first, I'll blast you over, and then I'll shoot myself." Pinkie stated. With some hesitation, Twilight readied herself in the cannon, and then Pinkie instantly fired her unicorn friend over to the other side. Twilight landed without injuring herself, which relieved her. "Alright, here I go!" Pinkie said as she positioned herself in the cannon. The cannon shot her out while she let out a big WEEEEE! during flight. Pinkie landed with a loud thud, but still appeared to be in fresh condition. "Good, we made it over. Follow me, Pinkie." Twilight said.

They approached a quiet abandoned temple that still brought back vague memories to Pinkie Pie. "This was where we found the Elements of Harmony and defeated Nitemare Moon for good." Twilight stated. "I never thought we would be coming back here again after all this time. Wait, Pinkie what are you-!?" "Hmm, nope not here, or here... or here." Pinkie said each time as she would closely examine different areas of the walls, floor, and ceiling. "Look, Princess Celestia said that she detected the Monkey talisman around this area, but she never said-" "Found it!" Pinkie cried out in excitement. She had found the Monkey talisman etched in a ceiling tile, yet somehow Pinkie had crawled up like a spider to get that high up. Twilight facehoofed herself as she witnessed yet another feat achieved by Pinkie that was beyond belief. "How are you doing that!?... Ugh never mind. Great job Pinkie, now please come down from there before you hurt yourself." Twilight ordered. "Okie dokie!" Pinkie replied as she pulled out the talisman, released her grip, and then fell down and used her coiled up tail as a cushion to reduce the fall impact. Shortly after, she stuffed the talisman in her mane.

"Wow, you really are something when it comes to talismans." Twilight complimented. "Let's get out of here before-" "SPARKLE!" three voices shouted from the entrance. "Gulp! Too late, they found us." Twilight said, fearfully finishing her sentence." "Too bad you did all the hard work for nothin'. Now we're gonna take it!" Chow berated. "Brace yourself, Pinkie. We're gonna have to fight to get out of this one!" Twilight said, glowing her horn as she prepared for battle. "Wait! This one's mine..." Pinkie said, narrowing her eyes as she cast a serious glare at the enforcers. Suddently, Pinkie whipped out a pair of pink poofy nunchucks from her mane. She stood up on her two back legs, and got into her ready position. "I call these... the Pinkiechucks!" Pinkie declared. "With incredible dexterity, Pinkie flashed out amazing cool moves as if she was a martial arts grandmaster, not making even one slight mistake as she alternated the Pinkiechucks from her hooves. She was also able to create the cinematic sound effect that typical nunchucks make in martial arts movies . Twilight stood there dumbfounded with her jaw hanging open, while the enforcers just looked at each other and shrugged.

"Come and get me..." Pinkie solemnly said, giving the enforcers the death stare. Finn, Ratso, and Chow got even more fired up, and charged headstrong at Pinkie Pie. Finn tried to punch and kick Pinkie, but he failed miserably due to the strength and speed of the Pinkiechucks. She took Finn out quickly with a frontal strike to the face, and then side kicked him into the wall. Ratso and Chow came at her from both sides, which was still no threat to Pinkie. Her next attack, the helicopter spin, put both of her assailants down on the pavement in only a few seconds. "I don't know how you learned to do all that, but that was incredible!" Twilight complimented. "I've read every Moose Lee comic, and that's how I learned to fight like him." Pinkie replied. Shortly after, Twilight and Pinkie felt the overbearing presence of Tohru as he appeared at the entrance. "The talisman!" Tohru barked. Pinkie was not going to surrender to the colossal stallion, and she was still ready to fight. "Hiyah!" Pinkie shouted as she swung her Pinkiechucks at Tohru. The brute reacted quickly enough to catch Pinkie's weapon with his hoof, and then he snapped it in two. "Oopsies..." Pinkie gulped. "Run Pinkie Pie!" Twilight shouted. Pinkie made a run for it and took off for the cliff. She had forgotten that the party cannon was still on the other side of the cliff, which meant she had nowhere to run. Tohru and the other enforcers slowly approached Pinkie and had her surrounded. "End of the line, chump." Finn sneered. "Give us the talisman and we won't hurt you, little princess." Ratso added. Twilight came out of the abandoned temple and saw that her friend was in danger. "Pinkie, hold on I'm coming." Twilight cried out to her. "Wait Twilight. Don't come closer. I got a plan!" Pinkie answered back. Pinkie thought of one clever idea to get out of trouble, but it was a major gamble. She jumped and landed as hard she could on the ground with the hope of collapsing the cliff to make the enforcers fall. Suddenly, the cliff edge gave into her force and cracked, making Pinkie and all the enforcers fall down to the whole lower level of Everfree Forest. They all screamed as they plummeted straight down into the unknown. Twilight heard the loud thud of the land, and she hurried over to see what happened. She looked down from her position, but could not see anybody. "No, Pinkie Pie! PINKIE PIE!" Twilight panicked! She was all alone, but Twilight knew what she needed to do. Her only hope of success was to find Pinkie and get out of the eerie forest before sunset. "Pinkie, I'm coming for you!" 

After landing hard, Pinkie felt very lucky that she wasn't unconscious from the fall. Finn, Ratso, Chow, and Tohru were not as fortunate since they were quickly out of it when they hit ground. "Ooo, that's gonna leave a bump on my rump." Pinkie ached. "I'd better check to see if I still have it." She reached in her mane to grab the Monkey talisman, and sure enough it was still there. "Now to find out what this silly thing does." said Pinkie. She tried squeezing it to see if the magic would trigger, but nothing happened. "I'd have to be a monkey to figure out-" As soon as Pinkie said the word "monkey" the monkey image on the talisman glowed and shot a magic blast at Pinkie and hit her in the face. She felt a little strange at first but then she looked at herself. "This is weird, I have hands instead of hooves. I'm a lot shorter and... oh my gosh! I'm a monkey!" Pinkie thought to herself. "I hope this can change me back!" Her thoughts triggered the talisman again, but this it returned Pinkie back to her regular form. "So this must be the animal talsiman." Pinkie concluded.

Shortly after, the enforcers were slowly waking up from being knocked out. Finn was the first one to get up on all fours and see Pinkie holding the talisman. "The pink one still has it. Let's nail her!" Finn shouted. "Gotta go, bye!" Pinkie said as she sprinted away. The Dark Hoof pursued after her through into another thick wooded area leading to possible danger. Pinkie still had a big lead in front of her chasers, but knew that it was going to be hard to lose them. "Alright Pinkie, it's time to give them a tastle of animal power!" Pinkie said. She pivoted and aimed the talisman at the enforcers. "Turtle! Frog! Bunny!" Pinkie kept screaming out animal names and firing beams from the talisman and then quickly resumed her get-away. Unfortunately, the enforcers were too evasive and were able to dodge each of the magic shots from Pinkie Pie. "I can't seem to lose these guys with my monkey magic. Wait, that's it! If I can't hit them, I can use it on myself." Pinkie Pie thought. She quickly made a sharp turn around a corner of bushes, and managed to get out of sight of the Dark Hoof. "Monkey!" Pinkie Pie said. She held the talisman directly at her face, allowing the light blue beam to strike her. Instantly, Pinkie had turned into a pink monkey while still maintaining her distinctive curly mane and blue eyes. "Alright, now to make a run!" she thought to herself while stuffing the talisman in her thick mane. The enforcers finally got to where Pinkie transformed, but they were too late. "Where did that that pink ditz go." Finn said impatiently. She was just here, I swear it's like she disappeared or somethin'!" Chow said. "Find her right now! She still has the talisman!" Tohru ordered.

"Phew, that was close." Pinkie thought, while hiding behind a tree. "Now to find Twilight." Pinkie climbed up another tall skinny tree to get a better view of her surroundings, but Twilight was nowhere in sight. "Alrighty, now it's time for this lil monkey to make her moves! Ah!-" Pinkie was caught off guard by a big python sneaking up behind her that she panicked and sprinted away. "Oh no! I forgot, other animals eat monkies!" Thud! Pinkie crashed into something bigger than herself, but she was also relieved to see who it was.

"Oh my, a pink monkey. Never seen one before." Twilight said in amazement. During the time that Pinkie was being chased by the Dark Hoof, Twilight had managed to scale down to the level of Everfree Forest that Pinkie fell down to. "Twilight, It's me, Pinkie Pie! The Dark Hoof chased me, and now I turned myself into a monkey!" Pinkie's efforts to communicate were in vein because all Twilight could hear was a bunch of ooks and screech sounds. "I'm very sorry little monkey, but I can't understand anything your saying. I need to keep looking for my friend Pinkie Pie." Twilight said. As Twilight started to walk away, Pinkie ran very in front of Twilight to stop her from leaving. Pinkie then drew an arrow on the ground with the word "PINKIE", stood and front of the arrow and presented herself in a way to make the arrow indicate who she really is. "Wow, you're a lot smarter than I thought! So Pinkie went that way. Thanks!" Twilight said, sprinting away really fast. Pinkie slumped down in disappointment as she felt like she was going to be a monkey forever.

Twilight continued to run through the thick forest, but had no luck finding Pinkie Pie or the Monkey talisman. but then she ran into an obstacle that would give her more trouble. The merciless Tohru looked down at Twilight and did not look amused. "The talisman! Tohru ordered. "I don't have it, honest!" Twilight answered back. "Finn, Ratso, and Chow came from another area and had also managed to apprehend Pinkie and the talisman. "We have what we came for, Sparkle. But we still gotta deal with you first." Finn threatened as he held the Monkey talisman. Suddenly, Tohru punched Twilight on the side of her head hard enough to temporarily knock her out.

After about ten minutes, Twilight slowly woke up only to find herself and the pink monkey tied up by vines to a boulder. They also saw and heard the enforcers discussing something rather awkward. "So what should we turn her into." Finn questioned the others. "Let's make her a dog. I like dogs." said Ratso. "Don't make somethin' you like! That beats the whole purpose!" Finn snapped. "We should turn her into an ugly roach so we can step on her!" Chow eagerly added. "Hmm, I like that! A roach is something that we CAN KILL!" Tohru maliciously stated. "No! That would make you all murderers!" Twilight panicked. The enforcers clearly did not care what she had to say. They viciously gazed at her and started walking up slowly like a cat stalking prey. Twilight was sweating bullets down her forehead as the thugs got closer to her. "Any last words Sparkle?" Ratso said. "Before we roast your hide!" Finn taunted as he held out the Monkey talisman and aimed it at their victim. "Yes, I do..." Twilight said quietly under her breath "Spit it out, we want to hear you beg!" Chow provoked. "PINKIE PIIIIIIEEEE!"

The cry for help gave Pinkie an adrenaline rush as she knew she had to help her friend fast. She busted out of her captivity with vigor, and then lunged at Finn's hoof. She grabbed the talisman and ran far enough to avoid getting caught. "Change back!" Pinkie said in her monkey language. The talisman shot out the magic beam and changed Pinkie back to her normal self. "Pinkie!? How did you?... nevermind! Just don't let them get to you!" "Oh believe me, they won't" Pinkie said with a cunning smile. "Bear!" Pinkie said as she aimed the talisman at herself. The magic beam struck Pinkie and then everybody was shocked to see her transformed into a big pink feral grizzy bear. "Aw, she looks cute." Ratso teased. "RRRRROOOOAAARRR!" Pinkie roared out loud." She charged at the menacing enforcer and body slammed Ratso so hard that he laid on the ground in aching pain. "Get the talisman!" Tohru ordered to Finn and Chow. "Now way dude, we ain't gettin' near that thing." Finn retorted. "Then I will!" Tohru replied in anger." Pinkie and Tohru glared each other down for about five seconds and proceeded into battle. Pinkie was so much faster and stronger that when they both collided, Pinkie was top of Tohru and kept him pinned on the ground. She clawed and bit him so much that Tohru's clothes had rip marks and his mane and tail were ruined. "Pinkie! Stop! He's had enough!" Twilight cried out. Pinkie relinquished Tohru and came to realize there was no need to continue fighting. She quickly changed herself back into a pony and then walked over to Twilight. "I guess I did get a little carried away." she said feeling embarrassed. Finn and Chow ran over to help Tohru and Ratso off the ground. "You guys keep the talisman, just please don't hurt us." Finn begged. "We'll let you off this time, but if you don't behave..." Twilight said, nodding her head to Pinkie Pie. "I'll have to use this." Pinkie said holding the Monkey talisman. "Ah! Run for it!" Chow cried out. The Dark Hoof made a fast run in fear that they were going to be bear food.

Twilight and Pinkie both shared a good laugh as they watched the enforcers disappear into another area of the Forest. "I can't wait to see how the other ponies react when we tell them you turned into a bear." Twilight giggled. "Wow, this has been my best vacation ever!." said Pinkie. "But this party pony really needs her rest. "All kidding aside, you've earned it." Twilight said. "Time to go back to Ponyville."

End of Chapter 10


	12. Chapter 11: Crouching Piglet, Hidden Pup

Chapter 11: Crouching Piglet, Hidden Puppy

"We've looked everywhere Twilight, and we still can't find the Dog talisman." Spike whined as he kept peaking in barrels and sacks of flour. The next stage of the talisman journey lead Twilight and her assistant Spike to an iconic windmill out in the prosperous wheat field of Fillydelphia. "We can't give up yet. Princess Celestia was very clear that we had to look in Fillydelphia's famous windmill." Twilight said. "You'd think for once she could look lend a hoof." Spike muttered to himself, feeling very annoyed and impatient. "I heard that! Spike, the Princess is one of the rulers of both Canterlot and all of Equestria. It's very important that we take on this responsibility while she can take care of matters elsewhere." Twilight explained. "And besides, we haven't actually looked "everywhere"." "Of course we have, we..." Suddenly, Spike realized exactly what Twilight was referring to. He looked at the window that was directly in front of the rotating windmill fan. "No way, I'm not going out there." said Spike. "I've already had to climb a schoolhouse before." "Spike, I have hooves but you have claws. I really need you to climb to the top, or at least check the center of the windmill blades." Twilight pleaded. "Fine, I'll do it..." Spike groaned, as he slowly approached the window.

The baby dragon waited for the next windmill blade to come down. As soon as a blade got close enough, Spike leaped out the window and grabbed on with all fours. The extreme height from the ground as well as the movement made him feel very uneasy. "You're doing great, Spike. Check all around the blades as much as you can." Twilight called out. "Easy for you to say." Spike said under his breath. Unknown to either of the adventurers, a troublesome foe had made his way to the top floor.

"The talisman!" Tohru shouted. "Oh darn, I don't have it. I guess we came to the wrong place." Twilight bluffed. "The eyes of the dragon say otherwise." said Tohru, as the dragon pendant around his neck glowed red. Twilight tried to get around Tohru, but his massive body blocked the downward stairs. She had to come up with a way to keep her enemy distracted, and bide Spike more time. "You know what, Tohru. I think you should really consider joining the good guys. Ponyville is great place to make friends, and every Tuesday Pinkie Pie brings us donuts!" Twilight said, trying to lighten the mood. "Raargh!" Tohru growled as he lunged forward at Twilight.

While Twilight continued to distract Tohru, Spike gradually climbed closer to the center of the windmill blades. To his surprise, Spike saw the Dog talisman wedged within. "Alright Spike, you can do this." he said to himself. Spike released his right claw, keeping both his feet and left claw clinged to the blade. The talisman was lodged in very tight that it was going to take a lot of willpower to get it out. The only real difficulty for Spike was the constant rotation that he had to endure from the windmill itself.

"Spike, please hurry!" Twilight shouted. We have to get out of here before-" Twilight quickly realized that communicating to Spike was a big mistake on her end. Tohru paused in the middle of battle and figured out that there was an accomplice outside. The brute rushed over to the window, reached out his front hooves, and grabbed the next windmill blade. The windmill came to a dead halt, and Spike was still holding on for his life. Tohru then shook the blade, attempting to break Spike's grip and cause him to fall. "Don't you dare hurt him!" Twilight angrily shouted at the enforcer. Twilight charged as fast as she could, but Tohru already had an answer to her attempt. He reacted quickly and used both of his back legs to rear kick Twilight and crash her into a stack of crates. Tohru then attempted to climb out the window and up the windmill with his massive body, but little did he know that his size would ironically put him at a disadvantage. The only progress he made was grabbing bottom blade and using his rear hooves to stay locked on the window frame.

"I got it!" Spike cried out in excitement. He was also glad that Tohru made his job easier by stopping the windmill from moving. Spike put the Dog talisman in his mouth without swallowing it, and then climbed down the windmill without any trouble. He even used the hindered Tohru as a bridge to get back through the window. While Spike observed Tohru struggling to get back inside, Spike had a very cunning idea to deal with the bully. "Hey Tohru, let me help you." Spike said, trying to hold back a snicker. Tohru turned his head to the side and gave a very angry look at Spike, which only made the situation more amusing. "I'll just push this and there!" Spike teased, releasing both of Tohru's legs. The enforcer gave in to Spike's push, and plummeted 20 feet into a tiny haystack. There was a loud thud as soon as the landing occurred.

"And the day is saved, all thanks to Spike the Hero!" Spike bragged. "But where's Twilight?" Shortly after, Spike heard a noise of broken wood and flour being shuffled around. Twilight was just getting on all four hooves very slowly. "Twilight, you won't believe what happened! I beat Tohru and got the talisman!" Spike shouted in happiness. "That's... wonderful Spike. Ow!" "Twilight, are you alright!" Spike carefully asked. "It's my back. I got kicked really hard and crashed into those crates and barrels over there." Twilight stated. "We'd better get back to Ponyville right now. I'll help you get better." said Spike, easing Twilight off the ground.

Once Twilight and Spike had left the windmill completely, Tohru was finally gaining consciousness from his fall. The brute eased himself up and already imagined what Trixie would say about his repeated failures. The situation then took a turn for the worse when Tohru felt something unusual around his neck. The talisman seeking pendant he wore had cracked into two halves, and then the red draconian eyes flickered a couple times. Shortly after, the pendant's power completely died out. "Uh, oh..." Tohru moaned.

Later that evening, Tohru made it back to Manehattan all by himself. He was tired, hungry, and disappointed with himself for another failure. As soon as Tohru got inside the hideout and up to the highest floor, Trixie was relaxing at her desk. "Amuse me, Tohru. What happened this time?..." Trixie beckoned from her henchman. The big stallion moaned in embarrassment, and laid down the cracked pendant on the floor. "Really now? After all this time it's become obvious that Twilight Sparkle is too much of a struggle for you. Now you've destroyed the ONLY MEANS OF FINDING ALL TWELVE!" Trixie raged. "Although the talismans can still be found through my eyes alone. However, such a magical artifact like the former cannot be forged in short time." Shendu commented."I promise not to repeat the same mistake again. I can make up for it." said Tohru. "You're very lucky that our mission has not been aborted just yet." Trixie added. "After thinking about it for a while, maybe it's time that I hired a freelance worker." "Master, I can do better! Please reconsider!" Tohru begged. "Too late. I've already found her." Trixie said. She clopped one hoof on the floor which signaled somebody else to make an appearance. From downstairs, a female griffon with a brown colored body and white feathered head came up quickly to address Trixie's summon. "Tohru, meet our new friend Gilda." Trixie said, trying to casually make the two feel acquainted. "I mean no disrespect, but how can a griffon be of any use to us!?" Tohru questioned. The provoking comment irritated Gilda, and she was not afraid show her hostility. Her eyes narrowed and she spread out both wings out to full wingspan. "Hoooaaahh!" Gilda yelled out, taking flight at Tohru. She had both of her front feet locked out and ready to gouge Tohru in the eyes. The enforcer covered himself with one hoof, but Gilda froze her talons barely an inch from his face. She retracted her leg and gave Tohru a condescending smirk.

"That's what a griffon can do." Gilda sneered. "I met her the other day, and I was amazed with not only her combat skills, but also how she knows so much about Sparkle's closest friends." Trixie said. "Yep, it's true. I used to be the best friend of Rainbow Dash until I met those other lame friends of hers." Gilda admitted. "Tohru, do be a teammate and tag along with Gilda." "Hope you can carry your weight, big guy. Being around me just might make you look good again." Gilda teased.

Thoughts and images raced through Gilda's mind as she exited the hideout. "I've waited a long time for this day; a chance for revenge! I'll never forget when that thick headed Pinkie Pie humiliated me in front of all those dweeb ponies, including Rainbow Dash!"Gilda thought to herself. Her eyes twitchedand her beak was gritting hard as she mentally recalled all of the pranks that were done to her at the "guest of honor" party. "I still remember each and every one of Dash's friends, and I'll make sure all six of them pay for what they did to me!"

That same evening, Twilight had to pay a visit to her country friends of Sweet Apple Acres. At the dinner table, every pony eagerly waiting for Granny Smith, who was the matriarch of the Apple family. Despite being an elderly earth pony, Granny Smith's upbeat country soul served as the beat. "Happy Birthday, Granny Smith!" the ponies cheered. "I got this for you before I boarded the train back to Ponyville." Twilight said. "I really hope you like it." "Why thank you, dear. Yer quite the generous one." Granny Smith said as she untied the cloth that was covering the gift basket. Inside were a dozen octagon shaped chocolates covered in thin foil. Suddenly, Granny had a quick surprised look in her eyes when she recognized the distinctive pig logo. "What's wrong, Granny?" Applejack asked with concern. "Eh, it's nothin'. Reminds me of the old days when my generation used to gather crops in Filly." Granny Smith nostalgically recalled. "I still remember the time when- ow!"

"Granny!" all the other ponies gasped. "Dang nabbit! It's my hip again." Granny Smith said, trying to hide the pain. "I gotta sit this one out. Ya'll can finish up without me." "But Granny, aren't ya gonna eat cake with us?" Apple Bloom politely asked. "I'm sorry my youngins... I will celebrate again... when I am a year younger." Granny Smith sighed. The old mare slowly walked out of the kitchen and upstairs into her bedroom, limping a few times on her right hip. Every pony was speechless and felt bad seeing Granny Smith Smith in pain. "Poor Granny, I know it's her hip that's giving here trouble. "Yup..." Big Macintosh said softly. "Well, I guess if she doesn't want this, I'll take it." said Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, you know that gift ain't yours!" Applejack scolded. "Aw, just one little piece of chocolate, I promise." Apple Bloom said.

When Apple Bloom removed the foil from the chocolate, she could not believe what she had uncovered. "Look every pony, I found a new talisman!" Twilight jumped in shock and unintentionally spit apple cider. "YOU FOUND WHAT NOW!?" Twilight exclaimed. "A chocolate pig talisman." said Apple Bloom. Twilight's expression went from excited to neutral when she realized it was not what she hope for. "The pig is one of the animals that Princess Celestia mentioned in her story." Twilight recalled. "So that means it's still in Fillydelphia." "Twi, I don't mean to be the wet blanket on the fire, but I really think ya need to sit this one out." Applejack insisted. "Hmm... you're right. I can't fully defend myself in this condition. I trust you Applejack, but do you really plan on going alone?" Twilight asked with concern. "Course I ain't." Applejack quickly answered. 'But... then again, Big Macintosh still has a lot more work to do tomorrow around the farm. Granny Smith is feelin' like a stick in the mud." "What about me, sis?" Apple Bloom eagerly asked. "Apple Bloom, what in tarnation makes you think I'd take you again on another hunt. You know darn well this ain't no horseplay!" Applejack said in a serious tone to her sister. "But Applejack, I helped ya'll get the Ox talisman in Appleloosa." Apple Bloom mentioned. Seeing as this was true, Applejack could not think of anymore reasons to shut down Apple Blooms offer. "Alright, fine. But don't go runnin' off again like you did last time." Applejack firmly stated.

Granny Smith was just starting to wake up and open her eyes. "Mornin' already." the mare sighed to herself. "Better start getting breakfast ready." Granny Smith could not help but notice something out of place lying on the floor in the living room. "Err, whaddya we have here, this must be Twilight's bag" Granny assumed. "The poor whippersnapper was so tired from all the shenanigans yesterday." As Granny Smith picked the satchel up, the buckle came undone and spilled out something she had never seen in her whole life. "What a strange lil' rock." Granny said to herself as she picked up the Dog talisman and peered at it closely with one eye. All the sudden, the indention of the dog figure began to glow and the talisman activated. Granny Smith looked in aw and felt very different. Unexpectedly, Granny Smith heard hoof steps coming from the stairs. Not wanting anyone else to know, she stuff the talisman underneath the bandana that was tied around her neck. "Oh, good morning Granny!" Applejack greeted as she and Apple bloom descended off the steps. Hope you're feelin' better today."

"Sorry about all the fuss yesterday, Applejack." Granny Smith apologized. "I'm feelin' like a brand new apple today!" "Aw shucks, I'm glad to see you're okay now. We were worried sick about you last night." Applejack stated. I'll be comin' with both of you youngins. This old rootin' tootin' granny needs some more fresh air outside the farm." Granny Smith said. "But Granny, you're not packed up, and we need to get to the train station very soon." Apple Bloom said. "Be back lickity split!" Granny Smith answered back as she darted upstairs, leaving behind a small dust cloud. It was a shock to both of the Apple sisters that their grandmother came right back with a full suitcase. "Oh... wow, that's a new record." Applejack chuckled.

"Somethings different about her. I've never seen Granny move like that in years." Applejack thought to herself. "Apple Bloom, keep an eye on Granny Smith during our trip. She's not herself." Applejack whispered in her sister's ear. Apple Bloom gave a short nod back. "Come on ya'll! Times a wastin'!" Granny Smith shouted to her granddaughters, as she was already outside the farm entrance.

"We'd better get goin'. Big Mac has already agreed to help Twilight get better." With everything else taken care of, the two Apples exited their home to catch up with their grandmother.

Around lunchtime, the Apple family finally arrived in Fillydelphia, the same rural town that Twilight and Spike found the Dog talisman. All three of them disembarked from the train, grabbed their belongings and made there way to the town square. "Apple Bloom, you and Granny Smith should go find an inn, while I ask other ponies around here for help." Applejack instructed. "Got it." Apple Bloom saluted.

When Applejack was far enough in the distance, Apple Bloom had a question that needed to be answered. "Granny Smith, I've been meaning to ask you about something. Have you been feeling different at all today?" Apple Bloom inquired. "Nothin' different about me! Come on lil one, let's get ourselves some hayburgers!" Granny Smith said, trying to change to subject. "Granny..." Apple Bloom said with a serious look. Granny Smith sensed that she could not avoid it any longer. She quickly looked both ways, reached one hoof into her bandana and reached out the Dog talisman. "No way!" Apple Bloom's pupils widened in amazement. "Way..." Granny Smith spoke quietly with a grin. "But please don't tell Applejack." "Well, alright... I won't." Apple Bloom promised. "Anyway, let's get some lunch!"

Applejack was still busy getting as much information as she could about the Pig talisman. Every time she tried to stop a pedestrian, they would just keep walking by like she was not even there. "Ugh, it's no use. No pony around here wants to be bothered." Applejack said, feeling discouraged. Once she caught sight of a fancier dressed heavyset stallion, Applejack waved her hoof to get his attention. "Yes ma'am how can I help you on this fine day." the pony asked. "Thank you so much for stopping. I'm trying to get myself more of these chocolate things." Applejack said while showing him a chocolate. Where's the factory that makes them"" "Ah yes, my grandfather's famous Fillydelphia chocolates." the pony stated. "The factory is on the north side of town; the same building with the clock tower." "You said your grandfather? Then that means..." "Yes, I am the mayor of Filly, Brasshoof Fraunberg III, my grandfather is Fraunberg I. He is most famous for inventing the chocolate because he had a secret way of cooking his cocoa beans, not to mention his obsession with pigs. To this day nobody understands why." "Could it be because he had the Pig talisman?" Applejack asked with an eager grin. "I'm sorry, what?" Fraunberg questioned. "Never mind, I gotta go!" Applejack said while sprinted off.

As soon as the sun had gone down, Applejack exited the inn that she and her family was staying at for the night. The only equipment that she chose to bring with her was her hat and a rope. Only a few patrol ponies were on night duty, which made the mission not too challenging at first. The only big problem was the pony stationed at the front door. Applejack had to find another way inside the factory withing being detected. After looking around enough times, she noticed a window that had not been shut. Applejack moved with stealth without being scene and got close enough to window. Afterwards, she prepared her rope and lassoed it inside the window. Applejack was aiming for a hook that she saw dangling from a small crane inside. With great skill and aim, Applejack's lasso caught the hook and allowed her to climb through the window. She got inside without being detected and landed with ease.

"Phew, glad that part's over." Applejack said with relief.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Applejack!" an angry voice boomed out from the opposite corner of the area. Gilda slowly walked out from a dark corner to confront her target. "Hold on a sec, aren't you..." "That's right! It is I, Gilda, the sharpest and most dangerous griffon that you will ever lay eyes upon. Give up your quest for the talismans or face my wrath!" Gilda threatened. "Look Gilda, everything that happened between you and my friends Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash is all in the past. Trixie is only trying to-" "Shut up! I'm not here to listen to any of your excuses. Any friend of Rainbow Dash is my personal enemy! Go back to Ponyville now before I get really angry!" Gilda said, getting more impatient. "If this is what it comes down to, then so be it!" Applejack snapped.

The country hero threw her hat and aimed directly at Gilda's face. The hostile griffon dodged with little effort, and already prepared herself for the next attack. Applejack was already fast on her hooves when Gilda reacted to the hat trick, and lunged with a flying kick. Gilda moved swiftly to the side, and narrowly avoided the hit. After that, Applejack followed with a swift kick to Gilda's talons, but the griffon jumped off the ground, and countered with a jump spinning back kick. Gilda's back paw struck Applejack in the cheek and knocked her down, but the brave pony was not out of the fight yet. Applejack got back on all fours, and charged at Gilda with a different plan in mind. Rather than going for a direct attack, Applejack ran from side to side to make her movements less predictable, hoping to mess up Gilda's concentration. Once she got close enough to her opponent, Applejack jumped all the way over Gilda, landed behind her and sprinted forward with a take down. The two fighters rolled across the floor, struggling to see who can get on top first and finish the duel. Unfortunately for Applejack, Gilda was the one who ended up on top, giving her the winning edge. Using this to her advantage, Gilda kept Applejack pinned to the ground with her paws and attacked with a barrage of slashing talons. Applejack was so overwhelmed by Gilda's flurry of talon swipes the she could not retaliate. The orange pony passed out in exhaustion and had to resign. Gilda, knowing that she was victorious, released her victim and looked down with a wicked smirk. "See ya around, Apple Dweeb." Gilda taunted at the beaten up hero. Gilda spread her wings and took flight up to a higher floor of the factory.

"Applejack!" Apple Bloom and Granny Smith cried out in worry. Both of them were very shocked to find "Applejack, who was that? Why did she attack you!?" Apple Bloom asked in great worry. "Hold on, how did both of you?-" "The window." Apple answered with a smile. "Anyway, the one who attacked me was Gilda. She's come back for revenge and now she's helping the Dark Hoof." Applejack said while picking up her hat from the ground. "Gilda? Er what's a Gilda?" Granny Smith pondered. "It's a long story. I'll show ya'll when we catch up to her." said Applejack. "I can think of only one place in this factory that the talisman is hidin', and that's the clock tower! Come on every pony, let's get movin'!"

All three of the Apples hurried up the stairs which lead them to higher levels of the factory. They were surrounded by giant cogs and other clockwork mechanisms that made them feel very miniscule. "You just don't when to give up, do you!?" Gilda sneered. "Yer the one who's gonna get whipped on the feathery behind!" Granny Smith fired back. "Oh, what's this? The old dirtbag wants to get thrashed too? Oh please, I'm not going to waste my time on someone who can't even lift their leg without breaking a hip." Gilda taunted. The insult struck a nerve in Granny Smith as she did not want to be reminded of her hip problems. Her eyes narrowed, her nostrils flared, and she pointed her hoof at Gilda showing that she was ready to brawl. "Granny, we're not here to fight. We're only here for the talisman." Applejack stated. "You really want to find the talisman that badly? Well, sorry losers but I'm already the winner." Gilda revealed the Pig talisman that was tucked underneath her left wing, and then closed it. "I gotta admint, it was a big reach to get up all the way to the ceiling of the this place. Too bad earth ponies can't fly. Haha!" Gilda laughed.

"Well we're just gonna have to take it from ya!" Apple Bloom cut in. "Ha! You got spunk kid, I'll give you that. Tell ya what, dweebs. I'll give all of you one last chance for the talisman, IF you can defeat me and my partner in battle." Gilda offered. "Tohru, you can come out now!" The big enforcer had been in hiding during the entire confrontation, but now he was ready to step in. "So how about it Applejack; me and the big guy versus you and the wrinkly coot." said Gilda. "This old coot will shut that beak of yers!" Granny Smith snapped back. "Fine, I accept. Apple Bloom, this could get real ugly. Please don't get yer hooves caught up in this fight." Applejack said to her sister. "Oh alright..." Apple Bloom acknowledged. "Alright Gilda, let's settle this!" Applejack declared. "Gilda, let me handle Tohru, hold off Gilda as long as possible." Granny Smith gave Applejack a wink, and then looked back at Gilda with narrowed eyes.

Gilda was the first one to initiate the battle. She took flight from the ground and went for an aerial attack at Granny Smith. What Gilda did not see coming was that the old mare had more agility than expected. Granny Smith dodged Gilda so quickly that it was as if she was not even trying. Gilda landed on the ground and came to a screeching halt, which got her a little irritated. Gilda knew at this point that she needed to take her opponent seriously. Meanwhile, Applejack ran towards Tohru, and did a forward powerslide that allowed her to pass the big foe from underneath. Tohru attempted to grab Applejack, but he made a fool of himself and tripped forward with a thud. Right after that happened, Granny Smith gave a slick smile to Gilda, raised her hoof and made a "come and get me" gesture. This angered the griffon even more, forcing her to go into combat with standard melee attacks. Gilda attack with talon swipes, back kicks, and beak drills, but Granny Smith blocked, dodged, and counter attacked every move. Gilda was starting to slow down and breathe heavily from fatigue, but Granny Smith was still not breaking a sweat. Applejack was still dealing with Tohru, but she too was getting close to finishing up. Applejack leaped on top of Tohru's back, and covered his face very tightly with her hat. The enforcer could not see where he was going, causing him to run straight into a brick wall. The impact knocked Tohru unconscious and made him no longer a burden to Applejack.

Granny Smith was landing punches and kicks with little effort on Gilda, making the fight very one sided. Despite the fact she was on the losing side, Gilda still had an ace in the hole. "Now you've done it, wrinkleface! I didn't want to use this, but now you give me no other choice." Gilda said in anger. She grabbed the Pig talisman from under her wing and gripped it tightly in her right claw. Once the talisman activated, Gilda accidentally shot out a yellow heat beam from her eyes. The attack caught Gilda by surprise, but it also boosted her confidence. "Lasers eyes, eh. Now you're all gonna be sorry!" Gilda sneered. "That's it. That's gotta be the secret technique Fraunberg Senior used to melt his cocoa beans!" Applejack surmised. "Gilda, don't do this! You'll destroy the whole factory!" "Too late for mercy! I'm taking all of you down, even if I have to destroy this whole place." Gilda yelled back. "HEAT BEAM EYE BLAST! Gilda fired multiple eye beam shots in an attempt to fry Applejack and Granny Smith. While doing this, parts of the clock tower started to collapse, and then bricks, wood, and metal cogs started falling down fast. That was the signal to everyone that it was time to make haste.

"We've gotta get outta here now! The whole place is gonna fall apart!" Applejack shouted. "Right behind ya, Applejack." Granny Smith and Apple Bloom called back. All three of the apples were fast on their hooves as they ran down the stairs to get to the factory exit. Tohru was still knocked out, but Gilda still made an attempt to escape as well. Unfortunately, nobody was quick enough to get out, and the entire tower fell down, which also destroyed the entire facility. The famous Fillydelphia chocolate factory was now in ruin.

Applejack was the first one to uncover herself from all the fallen debris. She quickly glanced around and looked for her comrades. "Apple Bloom! Granny Smith!" Applejack called out. "Right here." Apple Bloom replied, poking her head out from a pile of rubble. "But where's Granny?" "I don't know, sugar cube. Let's hope Granny Smith isn't... oh gosh I don't wanna think about it." Applejack said, getting chocked up. "Don't say that Applejack! I know she's still in alive, you have to believe me!" Apple Bloom said in a very assertive tone. "Wait, I see movement!" The largest chunk of debris was shaking around, which meant somebody had to be underneath. Applejack and Apple Bloom hurried over and pushed it off, revealing Granny Smith. Their grandmother was miraculously still alive, and she was regaining consciousness. "Fiddlesticks, that chicken brain really knows how to spoil the fun." Granny Smith said. ""Now we just need to find the Pig talisman. Gilda still has it." said Applejack. "Keeping looking around." All three of them kept digging through the the remains of the factory in search for the talisman. Applejack then came across Tohru and Gilda who were still knocked out. She slowly opened Gilda's claw to reveal the Pig talisman, which Applejack picked up for herself. "She was so caught up in gettin' revenge that even her pride was sold to the Dark Hoof." Applejack solemnly said. "Should we help them out?" Apple Bloom asked with concern. "Normaly I would do so, even for an enemy... but somethin' tells me we shouldn't." Applejack said and then looked over at Granny Smith with a very skeptical expression. "Now Granny, explain..."

Granny Smith gave a quick sigh and took the Dog talisman out from her bandana, which made her indirectly admit that she was still her old self. "Applejack, there's times when I wish I could be young again." Granny said with giving Applejack the talisman. "Watching you, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom has allowed me to relive those days." "Gosh, Granny. I didn't know how much it meant to you." Applejack said. "Isn't that neat? Granny Smith showed it to me earlier today. The Dog talisman gives her the power of immortality and eternal youth!" Apple Bloom explained. "But being young is hard! This old granny needs a nap! Did you see what that birdbrain did to me!?" Granny Smith ranted and continued to ramble on, while Applejack and Apple Bloom just looked at each other share a laugh. "Come on every pony, let's get back home and tell Twilight the good news." said Apple Bloom. Applejack and Granny Smith both smiled and nodded at the same time, and then they all headed east for Ponyville.


	13. Chapter 12: Release the Beast

Chapter 12: Release the Beast

It was Saturday morning, perfect sunny weather that was ideal for a picnic. Twilight Sparkle was cooking herself some eggs and toast while her assistant was still in his bed. "Spike, breakfast is ready!" Twilight called. Spike was still under the covers and appeared to be having a lucid dream. "No, please... don't take... help me... Princess..." Spike muttered in his sleep. "SPIKE!" Twilight shouted even louder than before. "Whoah! I'm up, I'm up already!" Spike jumped. The baby dragon hustled down the stairs as quick as he could to see what Twilight was calling him for. "There you are, sleepy head." Twilight giggled, while playfully patting Spike on the head. "I made your favorite breakfast." Spike looked over at the table where he normally sat to eat. To his delight, there was a bowl of his favorite cereal. "Emerald Frosted Flakes! Twilight, you're the best!" Spike cheered for joy. He leaped over into his chair and started to chow down. In a random instant, Spike began to think about the dream he was having, which was really a flashback of when Shendu possessed his body. He also knew that if Princess Luna had not intervened, he would still be an invisible spirit. "Spike, is something troubling you?" Twilight curiously asked. "Oh, I'm fine. Just trying to get myself fully awake, hehe." Spike said, still not wanting to tell Twilight about the incident.

Spike's cheeks began to puff, and then he burped out a scroll. "That must be from Princess Celestia. Spike, you can read it out loud if you like." said Twilight. "My pleasure." Spike answered. "Dear Twilight, The long journey is coming to an end. The Tiger talisman, which is the very last one to obtain, is located in a very dangerous location known as Flame Geyser Swamp. I suggest bringing proper equipment for this endeavor; you never know what kind of dangers lurk around, besides the Dark Hoof. Signed, Princess Celestia. "You know what, I like that name; Flame Geyser Swamp. If you ask me, that sounds like a perfect place for a dragon like myself." Spike said with a proud grin.

"Let's not make assumptions just yet." Twilight hinted. "I've never been there before, let alone heard of it." Twilight used her levitation magic to pull out a book from the shelf titled _The Ten Most Dangerous Lands of Equestria_. Twilight opened the book, flipped through the pages, and came to the page that had a visual of the dangerous swamp. "According to this book, Flame Geyser Swamp is said to be one of the most harsh environments for any creature to live in, due to the extreme heat, the lack of sunlight, and the constant smoke." Twilight read out loud. "It also says here that the swamp is inhabited by the fearsome... chimera!" "Huh? What's a chimera?" Spike asked. "The book doesn't go into detail about it, but the chimera is beast with three heads. The most dominant head is usually a either a tiger or a lion, and the other two heads are a goat and a snake." said Twilight. Sheesh, I'm actually starting to worry more about the chimera than I am about running into the Dark Hoof." "This monster doesn't sound too scary to me." Spike shrugged. "But it is! We need to be well prepared in case we encounter it. Spike, I need for you to take a memo." Twilight indirectly commanded. "Got my paper an quill ready." said Spike. "Very good, write the following down: Two pairs of fireproof boots, a snake charmer's flute, a liontamer's chair, and ricotta cheese." Twilight listed. "Take my gold pouch; there should easily be enough to cover the expenses." "Yes ma'am!" Spike saluted. "The ricotta cheese should be sold in the market, but the other items will most likely be at the pawn shop." Twilight explained. "While you're doing that, I will be stepping out to pay a special pony a visit. This dazzling mare is going to be critical for finding the Tiger talisman. She is the only one among my friends that has an eye for detail, and can spot any diamond in the rough." "Wait a minute" Spike said. "You're talking about..."

One hour later, at the Carosoul Boutique...

"Me!? Darling, you can't be serious! Out of every pony you could pick, you have to choose me!" Rarity ranted. "Yes Rarity. No pony can spot objects better than you, and that will come in handy as we look through a dark, fiery swamp. Please, I really need you for this mission." Twilight begged.

Spike came through the door without knocking because of the bag he was carrying. "I got everything you requested." Spike said as he struggled to carry the merchandise over to Twilight. The purple unicorn was eager to make sure her assistant had everything she needed for the last talisman expedition. "Very good, you got the boots, the chair, the cheese, and the flute." said Twilight. In a short moment, Twilight thought of an idea and leaned over to Spike. "Spike, do you have your special thing with you?" Twilight whispered. "mm hm." Spike nodded. Twilight walked away and Spike pulled out his fire ruby. Rarity caught sight of the gem from her peripheral vision and could not resist looking. "Oh my, that's quite the gem you've got there, Spike." Rarity complimented. "Yep, I found this fire ruby not too long ago. It reminds me of the one I gave you before I turned into a big greedy dragon." Spike said with a playful laugh. "Yes, I do remember that. It was actually a very bonding experience for both of us." Rarity said, trying to sweet talk her way to Spike's heart. "Rarity, I know this might seem redundant, but I think you should have this." Spike offered. "Oh Spikey Wikey, I'd love to have it!" Rarity cheered, jumping for joy. She ran over to Spike and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, which made the lover fall over like a wooden plank. "Well, glad to see that worked out for you. So Rarity, would you like to come with me?" Twilight asked again. "I'll look over the shop while your gone." Spike insisted. "Oh yes, that would be very helpful, Spikey. Of course I'll come, Twilight. I feel much better now and more enthusiastic."

Three hours later, Twilight and Rarity had traversed through very thick forest areas and were finally setting hoof in Flame Geyser Swamp. The thick trees were already blocking out the sun, but there was only a tad bit of smoke in the air. They were still venturing through bushes and small pathways without encountering any fire geysers. "Rarity, I think we need to check our luggage one last time." said Twilight. "Darling, we've already checked through it fifteen times already. Flameproof boots, which we are already wearing." Rarity said. "These wretched things are so restraining! As I was saying... ah yes, a lion tamer's chair, ricotta cheese, and a snake charming flute." As they continued to walk around, they came to a forked path. "Hmm, if we split up that should put the odds in our favor. Rarity you take the left, and I'll go right." said Twilight. "But darling, you forgot-" "Don't worry Rarity. I'll be fine. You can keep all the items just in case." Twilight insisted. As Twilight disappeared into the path she took, Rarity kept the bag on her back and continued the search

It had only been about fifteen minutes since the two unicorns split up on the talisman hunt. Rarity was not enjoying herself at all due to the fatigue and the condition she was getting herself in. Once she passed through a small bush, Rarity was now in a very open area surrounded by multiple geysers, and the grey smoke was getting even thicker. "This is ridiculous! My face is covered in ash, these boots are making my hooves sweat, and my mane is losing it's shine! Woe is me!" the dramatic mare whined. While going on her rant, a flame bursted out and startled Rarity. The tip of her tail got slightly singed from the flashfire. "Hmph! Twilight had better be thankful that I'm here to help her." Rarity said, restraining her anger. Suddently, Rarity's ear twitched and she heard a faint noise. "What was that!?" Rarity said, as her heart skipped. Listeing carefully, Rarity picked up a sound straight ahead from where she was standing. As the mare continued to listen, the faint noise then turned into three different animal sounds; a growl, a snarl, and a hiss. Rarity's heart started to pound harder and she was too scared to even move from where she was standing. Momentarily, a black figure slowly approached from about twenty feet away. At first Rarity could only see the silhouette of a tiger head, but then a goat head and a snake emerged from behind. Looking at this, Rarity assumed it was three different animals standing side by side, but the moment she realized they were sharing the same body, Rarity was absolutely horrified. The only small relief that Rarity had was when she saw eyelashes on each of the animals, indicating that the chimera was a female.

"The chimera... I only remember hearing about it through bedtime stories. But it's actually real!" Rarity said in shock. In desperation, she high tailed for her life but a geyser erupted and forced her to a stop. The chimera did not even bother to purse its prey because of all the surrounding hazards. Rarity made another attempt to escape but there were too many fire geysers spewing flames. The damsel in distress ended up running back where she was before fleeing from the Chimera. "Well, I do seem to be safer here at the moment." Rarity said with a deep breath. "But only from the flames!" said the tigress. "It's too baaaad you won't safe from us." said the goat. "We haven't eaten in dayssss, and you're looking rather delicioussss!" the snake said, with her eyes spiraling into hypnosis. "T-T-WILIGHT! HELP ME!" Rarity screamed for her life. To Rarity's delight, Twilight leaped from out of the bushes in a stereotypical heroic fashion.

"You're not hurt, now are you?" Twilight asked to assess the situation. "I'm fine darling, just a little shook up." Rarity humbely admitted. "Rarity, look for the talisman, I'll keep them distracted!" Twilight commanded. "Twilight, first..." Rarity said, giving Twilight the bag of equipment they brought. "Thanks. It's up to you now to find the talisman." Twilight said while securing the bag on her back. Rarity nodded and ran off to find the Tiger talisman. When she got to a safer distance, Rarity began charging her magic horn so that she could detect anything unusual in the ground. "I can't let Twilight down. I'll do my best!" Rarity said with strong determination. Now it was up to Twilight to defeat the mythological creature. "Ready..." the tigress said to her sisters. "Charge!" said the goat. The chimera sprinted full throttle at Twilight, but the smart unicorn made herself teleport at the last second. "Where is ssshe?" the snake said. "Idiot! This is all your fault! I was going to say when to attack!" the tiger yelled at his adjacent sister. "Why should you always be in charge!?" the goat argued back. "Hold on girlsss, what's that sssound?..." said the snake. All three heads turned around, and they spotted Twilight up on a tree branch. She was playing a hypnotic tune from her snake charming flute, which forced the snake to succumb to the the music. The serpent's eyes swirled and then she was sleeping her way into dreamland. Now Twilight only had two threats to deal with instead of three.

"Minor setback, let's get her!" the tigress barked. The chimera ran to the tree Twilight was standing in and aggressively tried to climb up the tree. Although the tigress's paws were strong, the goat's hooves could not support the ability to climb and kept slipping against the wood. Still determined to catch their target, the chimera changed its plan and chose to jump instead of climb. Each time they got close, the tigress would swipe her paws and the goat would snap her mouth at Twilight. The unicorn was lucky that the attacks were only slightly not close enough to harm her. Twilight reached in her bag, grabbed a hunk of ricotta cheese, and pitched it into the goat's mouth the moment it opened. "Mmm, ricotta!" the goat said happily. Twilight gave a sigh of relief and relaxed on the tree branch. "Darn it! I always end up having to do all the hard work!" the tigress sneered. "You have no idea what it's like living here in the same place with the same sisters always nagging me around. One is sleeping on the job and the other one is stuffing her face!" "I can sort of relate to what you're saying, in a not-so-bad way." said Twilight.

Rarity was still preoccupied with her search for the Tiger talisman, but she was making decent progress. She came across a big hill surrounded by thick bushes, which somehow gave Rarity hope. When Rarity's magic horned glowed brigher, it was a good sign for her. "I think there's something on top of that hill!" Rarity said eagerly. She ran to the hilltop as quick as she could and started digging. After digging roughly a foot deep, Rarity finally found the Tiger talisman. "I found it!. I finally found it!" Rarity celebrated. She turned around and saw that Twilight was still in the same tree defending herself from the tigress. Rarity ran off the hill and gauged her distance from the action. "Twilight, catch!" Rarity called out to her friend. She threw the Tiger talisman as accurately as she could, but the tigress up leaped at Twilight and accidently intercepted the throw. Twilight reached both hooves, but she fell from the tree and the talisman landed in the tigress's mouth and activated. Suddenly, a flash of light emerged from the chimera, and once it faded there were three different animals. The tigress goat, and snake were completely separated from each other, and all three were collapsed on the ground. The goat was the first one to ease up on all fours, but there was something different about her manner. The look in the goat's eyes was very playful and charming, and she had a carefree smile. "Oh dear, I hope none of you are hurt." said the goat. Twilight and Rarity were puzzled to see the savage animal become so civilized. "Thank you for saving me from my other half." The goat happily skipped up the hill to give Rarity a nudging hug. "Oh... you're welcome, I guess." Rarity said, still feeling awkward.

While the goat was reconciling with Rarity, the tigress got up and looked at Twilight. Unlike her sister, the tigress had a killer instinct look in her eyes, and gave Twilight a cold stare. Twilight could sense that she was in a far more dangerous situation then her comrade. "Yes! I'm free at last! The yin has finally been separated from its yang!" the tigress shouted in menacing pleasure. "Yin from yang, what in Equestria does that-" "Enough talk! Now die!" the tigress shouted and and added a loud angry roar. Twilight quickly pulled out the lion tamer's chair from her bag and armed herself like it was a sword. When the tigress lunged forward, Twilight trusted the chair towards the feline and jammed it in her mouth. The tigress shook her head around and forced her teeth as hard as she could on the chair. Eventually, the force of the tigress's jaws smashed the chair into wooden chunks and pieces. "You're all out of tricks." the tigress teased. "Still plenty more where that came from." Twilight called back. The hero teleported back to the same tree branch she was on earlier just to bide herself some time. The tigress made an attempt to climb since she was not burdened by the goat anymore. Twilight defended herself by stomping on the tigress's paws whenever she got close. Frustrated, the tigress looked back at a fire geyser and watched it shoot out a flame, giving her a diabolical idea. The striped cat gave a sinister chuckle, hurried over and picked up a leg from the broken table, and tapped it onto a geyser. The wood lit up like a torch and the tigress ran back to the tree and set the bottom of the trunk on fire. Twilight started to sweat bullets and tried very hard not to panic, even though she knew the situation was getting dire. "No where to run now, pony. Either you burn or get eaten, it's your choice!" the tigress taunted. As the flame began to spread up the tree, Twilight forced herself to teleport back on the ground and make a run for it. She ran

Unknown to anyone else, the snake was finally snapping out of the long sleep she had been in. When she woke up, the snake was very surprised when she realized what had happened. "I don't believe it! We've been ssseparated!" the snake said. She looked around and saw Twilight hiding and running from the tigress, and then saw Rarity having a friendly conversation with the goat. "Thisss iss not right. My sssissstersss have lossst their mindsss." the snake said in annoyance. "I've better have a talk with them." "Oh my, these earrings are a great match for you." Rarity said. "Where did you find these?" "What isss the meaning of thisss!?" the snake interrupted. "We're sssupposssed to eat ponies, not make friendsss with them!" "Personally, I like her a lot better this way." Rarity commented. "Ponies are friends, not food." the goat said very cheerfully. "The talisman must have something to do with this. The goat is acting very friendly but the tigress is trying to murder Twilight. Hmm, I wonder..." "Pleassse, you mussst reunite usss." the snake pleaded, cutting off Rarity's thought process. "But how? I don't know what happened to the talisman." Rarity answered. "Oh, you mean this?" the goat said, reaching in her mane. She pulled out the left half of the Tiger talisman and gave it to Rarity. "Why yes! But where's the other half? Rarity wondered. The mare had an imaginary light bulb shine above her head, and she looked over at the tigress

"Twilight, the tigress has the other half of the talisman. You must find it!" Rarity called out. Twilight visually scimmed all around the tigress and spotted the right half of the talisman wedged next to the right canine tooth. Twilight and the tigress were standing about twenty feeth away from each other; breathing heavily from the fatigue building up. While giving each other a tense stare, the geysers continued to shoot out fire and the tension was building up like a western duel. "It's time I faced my fears. No more running away this time!" Twilight declared. "Good. Now I can eat you alive!" the tigress shouted back and sprinted. While running forward, Twilight was making calculations in her mind as to how she would fight back. "As soon as she gets close enough, I'll go in for a counterattack." Twight though to herself. Once she got into close range, the tigress opened her mouth wide and lunged with a strong bite. At the very critical second, Twilight ducked and turned to her left and threw a counterpunch at the tigress's mouth. Twilight's hoof struck the exact spot where the talisman half was located while Rarity, the goat, and the snake were horrified when they watched and heard the loud cracking noise of the tigress's tooth getting knocked. "YEEEEOOOOWWWW! My tooth! My beautiful tooth!" the tigress screamed in agony. She was rolling on the ground in pain and covering her mouth, trying to stop the blood from rushing out. The right half landed very close to Rarity, allowing her to pick it up quickly.

"Rarity, now!" Twilight shouted. Rarity placed both halves of the talisman in place, which allowed it to activate. The tigress, goat, and snake started to glow white and then all three of them were sucked in towards each other. A flash of light emitted and once it cleared, the chimera was back to its original form. "We're together again! The snake cheered. "Hey, I got my tooth back!" the tigress said in delight. While all three of them were distracted, Twilight and Rarity gave each other a nod to make a getaway and teleported out of the swamp. "Now we don't have anything to eat." the goat argued. They each turned their heads away from each other and slumped on the ground in disappointment.

Twilight and Rarity made it back to the edge of the swamp and were now at an open green field. "Twilight, my dear. We finally got the last talisman!" Rarity celebrated. "Phew. I can still feel the heat all over my body." said Twilight. "Twilight, that was amazing how you pulled off that punch." Rarity said, taking short breaths. "But please don't make me go back to that AWFUL place ever again! Next time you plan on fighting a chimera, take Applejack instead!" "Trust me Rarity, we won't be going there again anytme soon. I'm up for a spa treatment if you're interested," Twilight suggested. "Darling, that would be wonderful! You know, I actually got to like the goat in a way. She has a sense for fashion and I would've loved to share some of my jewelry with her." said Rarity. "The tigress spoke about some yin and yang concept. I wonder if there's any books on that." Twilight added. The two heroic ponies continued to walk together and discuss their ideas, while heading towards Ponyville.

Later that evening, Trixie and her four enforcers were having a discussion about their plans for the talismans. "Great T, not trying to damper the mood, but why did we not get the last talisman." Finn asked. "It's simple, Finn. We would still have to take back the other nine, even if we were to get the Tiger talisman." Trixie explained. "And besides, you all would encounter a chimera, which I'm sure none of you are capable of defending yourselves." "Your lack of courage disgusts me." Shendu interrupted. "Nobody asked for you opinion, thank you very much!" Trixie snapped back. "After 5000 years, all twelve talismans have been retrieved. Under these circumstanes, I only possess two... WHILE TWILIGHT SPARKLE HAS TEN!" Shendu screamed in anger. "You have wasted a tremendous amount of my time, Trixie! Because of your failure, the lost treasure will never be seen again!" "Get a grip, Shendu. I was getting tired of the talisman hunt anyway, so I guess I'll just have to-" "Not so fast!" Shendu barked. "Don't tell me what to do, you spineless reptile!" Trixie snapped. Before Trixie could continue mouthing off, a Shadowkhan ninja materialized from the floorboards and grabbed Trixie's back legs. "Let go, you fiend!" Trixie screamed as she struggled. Another ninja snuck up from behind and slammed his foot down on Trixie's back, pinning her to the ground. Finn, Ratso, Chow , and Tohru hurried to help their boss, but a third Shadowkhan swung a kunai with chain and managed to entangle all four of the enforcers back to back on each other. Not even the mighty Tohru could break from the strong bind. Afterwards, the same ninja that had his foot down on Trixie brandished a katana and lowered the blade down close to her neck. "Wait, stop! Please! Don't do this!" Trixie begged desperately. There was never a moment in her life that Trixie felt so helpless and afraid; to the point she could feel a tear coming out of her eye. The enforcers also felt terrified to see their boss's life at stake. "It finally took you this long to realize your place in this world. I could easily dispose of you right now, but I'm feeling only a bit generous." Shendu said. "I'll do anything! Please... have mercy!" Trixie pleaded while trying to hold back the urge of crying. "Hmm... very well. Release them." The Shadowkhan with the katana took his foot off of Trixie and slashed the chains entangling the enforcers. Afterwards, all three of the ninjas walked back to Shendu's side.

"Consider this a small thank you for at least getting me two of my talismans back." Shendu said. "I hope you know what must be done." "Y-yes, Shendu. I understand." Trixie said nervously. She and the enforcers regained their composure and were getting mentally prepared for their next plan. "Tohru, contact Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace. We're going on a heist!" Trixie ordered. "And remember..." Shendu added. "This is your last, chance..."

End of Chapter 12

Note: I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


	14. Chapter 13: Wrath of the Dragon Part 1

Chapter 13: Wrath of the Dragon Part 1

"Finally, the last one. Never thought I would see this day come." Twiligth joked. In the corridors of Canterlot Castle, Twilight was securing the Tiger talisman inside the enchanted vault that contained the other talismans. "You and your friends have discovered all twelve talismans, and managed to safely retrieve ten. I thank you dearly for doing this, Twlight." "Aw, it was nothing really." Twilight said scratching her head modestly. "It might be a little risky that we're missing two, but hey, it is what it is." "Be sure to invite your friends over to Canterlot tonight. I have a special dinner arranged to celebrate your accomplishment." Celestia said joyfully. "Speaking of which Twilight, my sister and I would like to have a brief discussion in the library." said Luna. "Of course, Princess Luna. I will gladly share anything the two of you wish to know." Twilight eagerly said. During their embark to the library, Twilight began to realize why she was needed. The princesses still wanted to know about the power of the Tiger talisman. "You're both in for a real treat this time. The Tiger talisman is by far the most unique and complicated of them all." Twilight said, trying to entice her mentors. "I do look forward to hearing about this." Celestia said politely.

Unknown to anybody else, Trixie and her cronies were hiding in the bushes plotting their next moves. This time, Trixie was accompanied with more ponies than usual to guarantee success. She knew that there was too much on the line and that failure was not an option. For this particular situation, she had recruited two of her closest friends Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace to aid her in the critical operation. "The most reasonable place for Celestia to keep the talismans would have to be the same room where Shendu was locked up." Trixie concluded. "This section of the grounds should be the closest one to our destination. I will create a diversion while the two of you raid the vault. Is that clear?" Trixie instructed. "Aren't we a little outnumbered for this? There's gonna be guards surrounding every room inside." Lavender said. "Not to worry, Lavender. This will ensure our success." said Trixie. The magician flashed out the Dragon talisman that she was holding in her right hoof, proving that she came well prepared. "You got this, boss." Fuchsia said with a self-assured wink. "Believe me, it wasn't easy to convince Shendu. It's the least he could do to hold his end of the deal." Trixie thought to herself. Suddenly, she felt a vibration under her magician's cloak which was her communication orb. Trixie pulled the enchanted object out and saw Finn's face appear. "Is everything going to plan, Finn?" Trixie asked. "Smooth sailing so far, Great T! Sparkle's hangout is 12:00 from where we're standin'." said Finn. "Good, proceed to phase 2." Trixie said. She tucked the orb back under her cape and signaled her comrades to cooperate. Trixie's horn glowed and then she and her other two unicorn lackeys teleported inside the Canterlot corridors.

Once Twilight and the royal princesses got inside the library, they made themselves comfortable at the main table. "Twilight Sparkle, please share anything you know about the talisman's magic." Princess Luna asked. "Gladly. From what I have seen, the Tiger talisman has the ability to split one being into at least two entities that have opposite traits." Twilight explained. "I have to admit Twilight that is some powerful magic for only one talisman." Celestia commented. "But before I go on, there's something I must inquire both of you about." Twilight asked. Celestia and Luna both got quiet and solemn at the same time and were prepared to hear the worst. "Has either one of you ever heard of something called yin and yang?" Twilight asked. "I've looked in every book in my library and I still haven't found a clue to what it means. Princess Celestia's eyes opened in surprise due to the fact that she had never heard of such thing. "I can't say I have." Celestia admitted with a small chuckle. "Even after all the years there's still more for myself to learn. If you don't mind me asking Twilight, how and when were those words used?" "It was during the fight between me and the chimera; the tiger to be exact. After all three of the animals were separated by the talisman's magic, they started to behave differently than before, except for the snake. Somehow she still kept her same personality. But anyway, the tiger was the one who said that the yin had been separated from its yang." Twilight summarized. "Where those the exact words that the creature spoke?" Luna asked. "I am almost positive that the tiger used those precise words." Twilight answered. "It was one of the strangest things I had ever witnessed. The goat was very friendly and gentle to Rarity, but the tiger became more aggressive than before . It was like watching good versus evil." Princess Luna's attention became more direct after listening to Twilight describe the powers of the Tiger talisman.

"From what you have told us Twilight, I am under the impression that the Tiger talisman yields the power of spiritual balance. Yin and yang are most likely opposite forces that exist not only in the universe but within ourselves." Luna analyzed. Twilight was very impressed with the moon princess's input on the subject matter. At the same time, she also sensed that Luna's personal experience might be the reason. "It pains me to admit that I have lost balance within my own heart once before." Luna paused for a brief moment and then took a deep breath. "You and your friends gave it everything you had to help me find true harmony and I will always be in your debt." Twilight was very moved by the choice of words, which she knew was coming from the heart. She approached Princess Luna and they both shared a deep intimate hug. During their peaceful moment, a loud explosion was heard from not too far away.

"That came from the east wing! We must secure the talismans immediately!" Celestia ordered. "The guards and I shall secure the perimeter!" Luna announced. The ponies all made haste to their destinations without any delay. When Twilight and Celestia got to the entrance of the vault room, a blue smokescreen was blocking their view. "I'm going in!" Twilight said while sprinting forward. "Twilight it's a trap!" Celestia yelled, but she was too late on the warning. A flaming energy blast fired through the smoke and was aimed directly at Twilight. At the last second, the sun princess leaped forward, intercepted the blast, and took the hit. Fortunately she was using a magic shield to absorb most of the damage but the impact was still strong enough to put her out of commission. "Princess Celestia! Twilight shrieked. She ran up to her mentor and held her close. Celestia was unresponsive but she appeared to be breathing just a little bit. "Oops, looks like I fried the princess." Trixie maliciously joked as she appeared from out of the smokescreen. "This isn't funny, Trixie!" Twilight snapped. "The Dragon talisman is not a toy and could kill someone!" "Speaking of talismans, my dear friends have already cleared out the vault, so if you want to waste your time lecturing me, be my guest." Trixie patronized. Twilight had lost her patience for Trixie's insulting demeanor and reacted without thinking. Twilight teleported point blank in front of her rival and sucker punched Trixie in the face with full force, knocking the arrogant illusionist to the floor. Trixie lost grip of the Dragon talisman, which fell to the ground and was instantly snatched by Twilight. Trixie regained composure and realized that she did not have the Dragon talisman in her possession. "Keep the talisman while you can, Twilight Sparkle. You may have won this small battle, but I can promise that you've already lost the war!" Trixie sneered. With those last words, Trixie pitched a smokescreen and vanished from the castle.

Suddenly, Princess Luna appeared right next to Twlight and her unconscious sister. "The enemies escaped and the talismans are lost!" Luna panicked. "I'm very sorry Princess Luna... I tried my best." Twilight said with remorse. When Luna looked down at the injured Princess Celestia, she went from being stressed to completely devastated. My Sister! Who caused this treachory!?" Luna demanded. "It was Trixie. She's responsible for causing this!" Twilight answered. "I'll make sure she pays for what she did!" Twilight's horn started to glow and the Dragon talisman was pulsing in her hoof. Luna noticed the talisman and the way Twilight was acting unusually aggressive, despite everything that had happened. "Twilight, stop! You mustn't give in to your anger." Luna insisted. Twilight breathing was faster than usual, but listening to the princess help to calm her down a bit. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm... very stressed." Twilight said. "I know that you are upset for my sister's sake, but we need to plan carefully. Twilight, I think it would be in your best interest to go back to Ponyville and plan for your next move." Luna suggested. "I would gladly go with you, but I need to heal my sister." "Yes Princess. I'll do everything I can." said Twilight. 'Twilight wait!" Luna beckoned, not wanting Twilight to leave just yet. "Yes?" Twilight answered. "When I say this, I mean it for your own safety. Please, don't do anything reckless." Luna begged. "I... understand. Goodbye Princess Luna." Twilight replied. With nothing else to say or discuss, Twilight's horn glowed and disappeared with her teleportation magic. Princess Luna looked at Celestia and then looked out the window with a sense of concern. "This will not be easy for her..." Luna sighed.

It took about half an hour for Twilight to get back to Ponyville. Luckily, she made it back to the library as soon as she could; not knowing what was in store for her next. "Spike I'm home." Twilight called out once she got inside. No answer. "Spike?" Twilight called again, but still no response. She could feel a bad omen creeping in on her. When Twilight it up the room and closed the door from behind, she instinctively turned around and saw a dagger stuck in the door holding onto a note. It read:

"We have your baby dragon. You know what we want, and be sure to come alone."

Reading the note was now the final straw for Twilight Sparkle. She could barely control her anger at this point since things were already bad enough. First the talismans are stolen, then the princess was injured and close to death, and now her number one assistant has been kidnapped. "RRRRRAAAAA!" Twilight shouted and slammed her front hooves so hard on the floor that all the books on her shelves shook and fell out of place. Even some of her house decorations tipped over from the unexpected force. Twilight breathed heavily from exhaustion and tried to recooperate. "Alright Twilight, time for plan B." she said to herself. "It's time to take a trip to Manehattan."

Meanwhile, Trixie was opening up the sack of talismans that she, Lavender, and Fuchsia looted from Canterlot Castle. "Well Shendu, I think it's time we got the show on the road." Trixie said with a sense of accomplishment. "Start placing the talismans and say each one out loud." Shendu ordered. "Alright, fine. Rooster, Ox, Snake, Rabbit, Horse." Trixie said while placing each talisman in Shendu's octagonal sockets. "Ahhh, I can feel my powers returning to me. Soon I shall walk the earth once again!" Shendu said confidently. "Rat, Monkey, Dog, Pig, and Tiger. Ah ha! That should be all of them." said Trixie. "Fool! That's ten plus the Sheep that I already have! You still haven't mentioned the Dragon!" Shendu said impatiently. "Um, about that Shendu. You see, the talisman was... confiscated." Trixie admitted. "You did WHAT!?" Shendu raged. "That is my personal favorite and I entrusted it to you as an aide for your mission!" "Yes yes, I know your mad and you probably want to kill me." Trixie said trying to bide herself time. "I will admit that Sparkle got the best of me in our mono-e-mono confrontation." Shendu was snarling louder and was not buying into Trixie's attempt to stall. "I can promise you that I was well prepared for an incident like this to happen. I will gladly share with you my backup plan." "Then explain yourself..." Shendu sneered. Before Trixie could continue, Tohru barged in and threw a tied- up Spike onto the floor. Shortly after, Tohru left the room. "THAT is my explanation." Trixie said assertively. "A baby dragon? You mean to tell me that a baby dragon is your solution to the missing talisman!?" Shendu raged in anger. "This is no ordinary dragon, Shendu. He is Sparkle's closest friend and a witness to the powers that the talismans possess." Trixie answered. "Hold on, I remember your now. Ah yes, I took a hold of your empty vessel while you were fooling around with MY talisman." Shendu said in a very condescending tone." "You guys don't scare me! I'm not telling you anything!" Spike retorted. "Oh you don't have to worry about talking, young one. I'm sure your master is worried sick about you, and would give up anything to save your life." Trixie said with a slick grin. "We made sure to check every possible location that Sparkle uses for hiding the talismans. I was only a little bit surprised that she didn't have any at her library, so I figured hey, why not add a consolation prize to our heist. Taking a hostage is the icing on our cake." "Alright, fine. This is your only chance to correct your mistake." Shendu warned. "If this plan of your does not go through, then our alliance is over." Trixie's facial expression began to show a slight bit of worry after hearing the dreadful warning. Spike thought of this as a time to psych out his captor. "Heh, looks like you got yourself in quite a pickle." Spike taunted at Trixie. "Listen here, halfpint! Twilight Sparkle WILL surrender the talisman and I will become the richest pony in Equestria!" Trixie snapped. "So you'd best keep your mouth shut!" Spike shrugged and turned his head away to ignore the pompous pony.

Later on, Twilight managed to catch a ride on the Ponyville Express which was outbound for Manehattan. She did not bother to tell her closest friends about the stressful prediciment she was in

and preferred to take on the challenge alone. Upon her arrival in the big city, Twilight had

to use instinct to figure out where the Dark Hoof was hiding. After an hour of searching on

hoof, Twilight was beginning to feel more aggrivated. Eventually, she noticed a townhouse that stood

out from all the others around. It was poorly lit inside, and had wooden planks nailed to the windows.

"This has to be the place. I'm going in." Twilight said to herself with determination.

When Twilight entered through the creaky door, she was not surprised to see Finn, Ratso, Chow,

Tohru, Fuchsia, and Lavender all waiting in the main room to confront their guest. "Twilight Sparkle, I'm taking you-" Before Tohru could say anything else, Twilight shot the stallion with a strong magic blast from her horn; knocking Tohru out cold. "Hey, you didn't even let him finish!" Finn whined. Twilight gave Finn a cold hard stare and cracked her neck, which provoked all the enforcers to attack at once. Trixie was upstairs sipping from a cup of tea while Twilight pulvarized her enemies without breaking a sweat. "It looks like our guest is well entertained." Trixie said in amusement. "You know she's coming for you next, Trixie. Twilight will make sure she whoops your hide real good." Spike said. Trixie rolled her eyes and chose not to bother debating with her capty. After the brawl was over, all six enforcers were either facedown on the canvas or looking at the ceiling in humiliation. "I guess Sparkle's in a really bad mood today." Finn assumed. "You mean psycho? She blasted a hole in my jacket!" Chow complained. Twilight overheard the commotion and quickly rushed up to Chow. She grabbed the prescription sunglasses from Chow's face, and smashed them to pieces between her hooves. Twilight shoved her way passed all the worn out enforcers and climbed the stairs. Once she made it to the highest floor and the last room, Twilight saw Trixie sitting at her desk and Spike tied up in the corner near Shendu. Twilight was amazed to see the enormous petrified demon curled up behind Trixie on the wall. "The dragon demon that Princess Celestia spoke of. He's much bigger than I expected." Twilight said in amazement.

"You decided to show up after all." said Trixe. "Let's get down to business, shall we?" "I have what you want." Twilight said, revealing the Dragon talisman. "Now let Spike go!" "Quite the heroic one, aren't you?" Trixie taunted. "Give me the talisman first and then I'll release your pet." "Fine!" Twilight snapped. She impatiently came closer to Trixie and placed the Dragon talisman on her desk. "It's all yours." "Alright boys, untie the prisoner." Trixie instructed to the Shadowkhan ninja that stood next to Spike. The young dragon was cut from his imprisonment and he went running to his master. After giving Twilight a quick hug, he gave her a worried look. "I'm glad you rescued me, but they have all the talismans!" Spike panicked. "That's true, but we still have a chance." Twilight said with an assertive tone. "Hold on a second, why do I feel so different all of the sudden? At first I was so filled with rage, but now I feel so much more relaxed." Twilight thought to herself. After looking around for a couple seconds, Twilight realized that the Dragon talsiman was the source of the never ending anger. "It's just like when Trixie used it at the harbor. She was acting the same way I did. I bet Princess Luna knew all about this when she spoke to me in the vault room. And I was too dumb to know." Twilight thought. "Trixie, you have all the talismans, so what now? Is your "friend" really worth that much to you?" Trixie was mentally caught off guard from Twilight's provoking question that she started to rethink the situation. She held the Dragon talisman and looked at it for a few seconds, thinking about Shendu and the lost treasure. Trixie was now the one who was starting to feel the frustratioin kick in."Ignore the foolish one! Secure the talisman and release me!" Shendu demanded. "Or face the consequences!" Trixie's was starting to get a headache from all the mental pressure and acted upon her gut feeling. "I must have the lost treasure! The treasure is all mine!" Trixie shouted in anger and frustration. She sprinted towards Shendu and slammed the Dragon talisman in the last remaining socket. All of the sudden, the talismans emitted a white light and resonated with each other. The ground trembled and the entire hideout shook. Soon enough, the talismans were compressed into Shendu's body and then his stone eventually started to materialize. "We have to get out of here!" Twilight yelled. Both she and Spike made a run for their lives while Trixie stood her ground. The enforcers were still too tired and injured to run for safety. Shendu's body also started to shift around and uncurl from his current position. His head came forward and then the arms and feet grew out. During this transformation, the entire hideout started to give in to the power and weight of Shendu. When the demon grew to his full height, his massive body had outgrown the hideout and destroyed it in the process. Happy to be free once more, Shendu stood tall and proud among the ruins of the Dark Hoof's townhouse.

"Iiiiii Liiive!" Shendu said with a menacing laugh.

End of Chapter 13


	15. Chapter 14: Wrath of the Dragon Part 2

Chapter 14: Wrath of the Dragon Part 2

"At last. All of my powers have finally returned to me! Astral projection, invisibility, immortality, and my personal favorite, combustion!" Shendu opened his right hand, aimed at a public trash can, and blasted it to smithereens with an energy blast. While the smoke from the blast was still thick, Twilight and Spike used the chance to hide behind an adjacent building and avoid detection. "There's no way we can beat that guy now. He's invincible." Spike quietly said to Twilight while keeping cover. "Hold on, let's listen to what they have to say." whispered Twilight.

"Hmph, looks like we won't ever have to worry about Twilight Sparkle. And by the way Shendu, I'm glad to see that you have what you want. Now it's time to get lost treasure of… whatever that name was." Trixie said very eagerly. "On the contrary, my dear Trixie; you did not fulfill the entire end of your deal. If I am not mistaken, all of the talismans were theoretically discovered and obtained by Twilight Sparkle and your uncle, not by you." Shendu stated. "I beg your pardon, but Fuchsia, Lavender, and I busted into Canterlot and-." "Read my lips!" Shendu cut in. "No treasure for you!" Trixie gave Shendu a stern look; knowing that she was in no position to give orders to a demon, and then looked over at her enforcers. "Tohru." Trixie beckoned. The dumbfounded Tohru knew what his boss wanted him to do, but his instincts did not correlate with Trixie's order. "But master, I don't think I can-." "DO IT!" Trixie shouted to the extreme in a very angry, demanding, and impatient voice." "You got this, big T." "We'll back you up, I think…" Finn and Chow said, respectively. Tohru felt only a tad bit reassured with the support from his friends, but it was not enough to make him feel completely in control. Regardless, Tohru got into his ready stance, gave Shendu a cold piercing stare, and growled under his breath. Tohru then sprinted as a fast as he could with his head lowered and prepared for a skull bash attack. Suddenly, Tohru felt an unknown force take hold of him and lift his whole body off the ground. Shendu was using levitation to stop Tohru from coming any closer. "Should I remind you that with the Rooster's power of levitation, I can render even the most formidable enemies useless while suspended in air." Shendu explained. "And let's not forget about another advantage I have: super strength." Shendu curled his right index finger back, and gave Tohru a strong solid flick. With the power of the Ox in Shendu, Tohru was sent flying into the horizon. Twilight and Spike were horrified to see the dragon demon dispose of Tohru like a table-top hoofball.

"I can't let Trixie and her goons go down like this." Twilight muttered. She looked around and with quick thinking, she spotted a medium chunk of brick and used her magic to levitate it. "Twilight, what the heck are you-!" "Argh!" Shendu screamed right after the rock struck him in the back. Who dares to attack me from behind!?" "That, my friends, is our cue." Trixie hinted to her lackies. The Dark Hoof used the opportunity to flee while Shendu was distracted. The demon sorcerer looked around for about a minute, but then lost interest. "Hmph, no matter. I shall find a proper area to make preparations." Shendu said to himself. The dragon rose himself so that he was airborne, and then took off with super speed. Twilight and Spike emerged from hiding when once they knew the coast was clear. "I would have to guess that the dragon was using both the Rooster and the Rabbit combined to fly at supersonic speed." Twilight surmised. "We need to get back to Canterlot Castle and tell Princess Luna everything we know so far." "Shouldn't we let the others know about this too?" Spike suggested. "You bet we are. First, we'll need to get to Canterlot, then you can send five-way message to our friends." Twilight instructed. "But for now, we've got a train to catch!"

It took at least an hour for Twilight and Spike to make it back to Canterlot. Upon arriving in the throne room, Twilight was surprised to see that Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were waiting for her. "I don't believe it! It's like all of you read my mind!" Twilight said in surprise. "We came as quickly as we could when we could when Princess Luna summoned us." Fluttershy said. "So give us the scoop! Did you finally beat Trixie for good?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Girls, the worst case scenario has turned into a reality. The Dark Hoof raided all the talismans and now the dragon demon has been fully restored." said Twilight. "Well why in the hay did ya not tell us sooner Twili!? We could've helped ya stop Trixie and her goons in the first place!" Applejack said in anguish. Twilight took a deep breath and knew she had to explain her mistake. "It's my fault that we're in this predicament. When Trixie and her two friends cleared out the vault, she used the Dragon talisman to critically injure Princess Celestia." Twilight explained. "Hold on! You're telling us that Trixie beat Princess Celestia!?" Rainbow Dash said in shock. "I find it rather odd that Princess Luna did not mention that in the message." Rarity commented. "Believe it or not, Trixie was actually targeting me. Princess Celestia was only subdued because she sacrificed herself so I wouldn't get hurt. Because of that, I was so focused on getting revenge, and I lost control of myself. When I got the Dragon talisman from Trixie, it somehow fueled my anger even worse. She and the Dark Hoof then captured Spike, and used him as ransom for the talisman, which of course allowed them to resurrect the demon." Twilight summarized. "Gosh, I wouldn't have thought that could all happen so quickly." Fluttershy commented. "Aw, chin up Twilight. We're here to help you with ANYTHING that comes your way. We're the good ponies, and the good ponies always win!" Pinkie Pie cheered as she bounced around in circles.

"Do not be too hard on yourself Twilight." A voice spoke from behind. All of the mane six turned around and saw Princess Luna entering from the side hall. "While it is good that you recognize your previous mistakes, we must not let that ruin our mission." Luna assured. "I would aide you in your quest but… there is a pony here that is also critically injured and needs urgent care." "Do we already this pony by any chance?" Rarity asked. Princess Luna nodded quietly. Twilight started to think about who the mysterious pony could be, and then a lightbulb lit up. "Girls, I'll be right back!" Twilight said as she quickly sprinted for the stairs. Twilight made it up to the bedroom where Princess Celestia was recovering, and noticed that Princess Luna's bed was occupied by the infamous Tohru. The big stallion was wrapped in bandages that covered his whole body except for the face. He looked as though he was resting, but Twilight could sense that Tohru was still cognitive. "Somehow I knew it was him." Twilight thought. She nervously approached the injured enforcer with the intent of asking one simple question. "Tohru…" Twilight whispered. "I know you're trying to rest… but there's one thing I must know." Tohru opened his eyes and tried to position himself so that he could give Twilight better eye contact. This was probably the first time that Tohru did not have an angry scowl, but instead appeared to be docile. "Am I… going to be detained?" Tohru asked back. "Princess Luna and I both promise that we will not turn you in if you can provide some help. The only thing that we need to know is the name of the demon." Twilight stated. Tohru slowly nodded his head and prepared to talk again. "The demon's name… is Shendu." Tohru answered. "Thank you, Tohru. Please get some good rest." Twilight said graciously. Tohru eased himself back to resting position, and closed his eyes. Twilight left the room quietly and hustled back to see her friends.

"I know this might not sound like much, but Tohru gave me some good insight." Twilight announced. "The name of the dragon demon is Shendu." "Great job, detective Twilight! Now we need to get some more answers! We'll make him talk…" Pinkie Pie said with the most intense comical dramatic tone. "I don't think that's gonna work…" Spike commented. "Besides, we still don't know where this Shendude guy is at." Rainbow Dash added. "There is one possible place that the foul creature may reside; the same place that my sister and I originally discovered him." Luna said. "Your highness, we've been to just about every corner of Equestria; I'm sure we won't have any trouble finding the demon." said Rarity. "I hate to be the barer of bad news Rarity, but this is a place that has never been explored by any mortal pony; it was originally the home of Equestria's strongest and most horrendous creatures." Luna warned. "I did read a similar description in one of my geography books, and the only place that comes to mind…" Twilight thought out loud. "Is the badlands." Luna added to Twilight's sentence. "Even though the majority of the monsters have been exiled to Tartarus, it would not surprise me if any other hazardous beasts still remained there."

Princess Luna noticed Fluttershy twiddling her hooves as if she had something on her mind. "My dear Fluttershy, is there something that you would like to share with us?" Luna asked. "Well, kind of. I was thinking maybe we could use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Shendu and seal him up for good." Fluttershy suggested. Everybody else felt very hopeful and began to chit chat with each other after listening to Flutterhsy's idea. "Golly, why didn't I think of that?" Pinkie Pie asked herself. Princess Luna was impressed, but also saddened at the same time. "I am terribly sorry to say this, but the Elements of Harmony will not be enough to win this battle." Princess Luna said; which made everybody else turn completely silent and bummed after hearing the ice breaker. "My sister tried to banish the strange creature using all six elements, but it proved to be futile. It is very likely that Shendu is immune to Equestrian magic, and that a direct approach is going to be required. Twilight, please come closer." Twilight acknowledged the request and positioned herself to the princess's right side. "Twilight Sparkle, the magic that I am about the bestow upon you is from a spell that my sister and I only use for the most critical situations. It is the same technique that we used to remove the talismans from Shendu when he was still encased, and I truly believe it is our last hope for defeating him once and for all." Princess Luna explained. "With it, you should be able to penetrate the dragon's flesh and remove the talismans by force. Let me know when you are ready." "Princess Luna, I am ready for the spell." Twilight answered. "Very good. Now stand directly in front of me, rest your eyes, and empty your mind of all distractions." Luna further instructed. The purple unicorn followed the princess's command, closed her eyes and concentrated. Princess Luna's horn glowed with a green light and aimed at Twilight. After about fifteen seconds of being exposed to the spell, Twilight's front hooves glowed with a green aura, which then gradually faded.

"For right now, you will not be able to harness the power just yet. As you come closer to Shendu, whom of course carries the talismans, the aura will begin to glow in your hooves, and that is when you must act." "I understand. Thank you, your highness." Twilight said graciously. She bowed to the alicorn and turned to the rest of the gang. "Come on, every pony. It's time we finished this!" Twilight said with a very determined look. As the mane six hurried to the exit, Spike felt left out and stood there not knowing what to do. "Young Spike. I believe that this will be an appropriate task for a baby dragon like yourself. You should aide Twilight and her friends in this final challenge." Luna said to Spike, trying to help boost his confidence. "You're right, Princess. I shall do everything I can to help Twilight, no matter how bad things may get. From this day forward, I promise to-." "Come on, Spikey Wikey! We don't want to be late." Rarity called out to the young dragon before he could finish his monologue. "Anything for you, Rarity!" Spike replied back as he darted to catch up with the ponies.

After two hours of traveling by train to Apple Loosa and then hiking on hoof, the group had finally made it passed the border of the beastly badlands. Twilight and Spike were both leading the pack while Applejack and Rainbow Dash stayed in the rear, keeping the other three mares in the middle. Everybody was tired and hungry except Pinkie Pie, who somehow managed to keep herself entertained. "It was a dark and stormy night as the brave ponies wondered through the mysterious wasteland of death." Pinkie Pie narrated. "Pinkie Pie, it's not dark, there ain't no storm, and it's only dusk." Applejack corrected. "Oops, I guess I got a little too carried away." Pinkie Pie said with a squeaky grin. "Oh gosh, the sun is setting and we haven't even found a trace of the dragon." Fluttershy said with worry. "We've come too far to give up. Let's find and defeat Shendu… to save ourselves… and save Equestria…" Twilight said with whatever little breath she had in her lungs. Everytime Spike felt his eyelids getting heavy, he would slap himself to stay awake. When the baby dragon spotted something in the distance, his heart skipped in excitement. "Hey everyone, I think there's shelter up ahead!" Spike called out to his companions. Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes to get a better focus of the building. "It's still far, but I know we can make it!" Rainbow Dash said eagerly.

It only took about another twenty minutes for the seven heroes to make it to the entrance of what looked like an ancient palace. The walls were made of antique gold limestone, and the rooftops were blood red and pointy. Unknown to Twilight and the others, the building had been created by Shendu in a very short amount of time, and it was only a replica of his original palace from the Ling dynasty. "On second thought, I don't think this place gives the best hospitality." Spike joked. "There's no doubt about it. Shendu is somewhere in this gigantic castle." Twilight presumed. "Stay close everyone. We're going in." With the strength of her unicorn magic, Twilight opened the giant wooden double doors and led her friends into the unknown fortress.

The group entered the palace with caution and checked to make sure that there was not any immediate danger. "If it weren't for the torches in here, this place would be completely dark." Twilight said. "Wherever this Shendu fella came from, it sure ain't Equestria." said Applejack. Everyone looked around in amazement at the designs and interior architecture of the palace. There were statures of dragon made of terracotta, and gold vases that were displayed on pedestals. In the farthest corner near the staircase was a massive pile of golden coins and gems that Spike could not resist looking away from. "Don't, even, think about it." Twilight scolded. Spike froze in embarrassment like a foal with its hoof caught in the cookie jar. "Sour grapes anyway…" Spike muttered. "For an evil dragon, he sure does have a sense of design." Rarity observed. "It's big, but it also feels very lonely in here." said Fluttershy. As the gang continued down the grand hall, Spike began to sense something familiar and uncomfortable within the atmosphere of the room. On top of that, Spike knew without a shadow of a doubt he and his friends were not alone.

"Hey guys. Call me crazy, but does anyone feel like were being watched all of the sudden?" Spike asked his comrades. "Aw, don't be silly Spike. My Pinkie senses woud've already detected if we were-." In the spur of the moment, a black shadowy blur shifted quickly within the walls. "In, danger…" Pinkie Pie timidly spoke. "It's them…" said Twilight. Slowly but surely, at least one hundred Shadowkhan emerged from the walls, the floor, and the shadows of every possible area of the grand hall. Rainbow Dash cracked her neck from side to side, and looked the most eager out of everybody to start a fight. "Alright, every pony! Let's get em' done!" Applejack shouted, initiating the battle. A clash of good and evil had begun between the mane six fighting against at least an army of Shadowkhan. The fighting tactics that the ponies used was almost identical to how they fought the changelings led by Queen Chrysalis. Rainbow Dash zipped through the ninjas with her speed, Pinkie Pie spontaneously armed herself with the party cannon, Applejack used her strength and agility to fight bare hoofed, while Rarity and Twilight fired magic missles. Fluttershy was the most indirect and passive in the fight, but sheer luck allowed her to evade attacks and cause the Shadowkhan to hurt themselves without harming the timid pegasus.

"I'll be gosh darned! We beat em all!" Applejack celebrated. Suddenly, more Shadowkhan emerged like before, which brought the ponies back to square one. "Aw, come one! We already beat you guys!" Rainbow Dash whined. The army of ninjas swarmed once again and forced the ponies to continue fighting. After only about ten seconds of more battling, Applejack realized what was really going. "Twilight, these hooligans are just a distraction! You go on ahead while we handle the pests!" Applejack called out to Twilight as she fought off more Shadowkhan. Twilight blanked out and caught a glimpse of the fight or flight rush, and then snapped out of it. "Alright, Applejack. It's up to the rest of you to stop those things. I'll deal with Shendu." Twilight confirmed. "I'm coming with you Twilight! Come on let's move!" said Spike. The dynamic duo made haste for the stairs as the brawl persisted.

Twilight and Spike made it up to the top of the stairs and found themselves in a very dark room. They could not tell how big the room was, and had no idea if anyone else was in there. "You'd think Shendu would at least have a fire going in here." Spike said. Without provocation, Twilight's hooves instantly shined with the same green aura that Princess Luna used on her before. "It's finally kicked in! That means Shendu is somewhere in this room." said Twilight. "And he's much closer than you think." a deep raspy voice spoke. Six torches lit up the room, which was revealed to be both a throne room and an arena. An enormous red banner with the Chinese symbol for fire hung above the throne that Shendu resided in, but of course Twilight and Spike did not understand the meaning behind it.

"So you've decided to show up after all, Twilight Sparkle. I sense that the Shadowkhan are keeping your friends at bay." Shendu said with assurance. "So that's what their called…" Twilight thought to herself. "Hmm, still in your own train of thought, eh? Then riddle me this; have you ever encountered such a powerful being as myself before?" Shendu asked. "Twilight's taken on challenges you could never imagine!" Spike said with confidence for his master. "Silence! My focus is on the unicorn. You are not important." Shendu sneered. "What did just say? I'll have you know that I am Twilight's number one-." "Enough Spike!" Twilight cut in. "I don't want you getting hurt in this battle. Please Spike. Let me handle this." Spike nodded to Twilight and found himself a corner to the room to stay in. "Hey Twilight, if you lose this, you know I'm gonna have to avenge you!" Spike called out. "It's a deal!" Twilight chuckled, but then turned serious when she looked back over at Shendu. "Yes, what my assistant says is true. There are many challenges that my friends and I have faced together. The ones that I think are the most comparable to you are Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Chrysalis. It's sad to say that their lust for power and control that led to defeat; something that you should learn from!" Shendu cackled at the thought of Twilight indirectly telling him to surrender. "You really do amuse, Sparkle. Let's not forget that those enemies you fought before were all native to Equestria. As for myself, I am from a world that would take ages for you to comprehend." "I don't care what world you or anyone else is from. But I do know this: Equestria is not yours for the taking!" Twilight argued back. "Enough talk! Let's fight!" Shendu jumped from his throne and landed about ten feet away from Twilight. The strong dismount shook a ground to some extent, but Twilight bravely stood her ground.

"Time to turn up the heat!" Shendu roared, and then unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth. Twilight instantly teleported away to dodge the heat, and then reappeared on Shendu's back. "Take this!" Twilight shouted as she plunged her hooves into Shendu's body. After fiddling around, Twilight grabbed a talisman and yanked it out as fast as she could. Shendu shook Twilight off, but she still landed on the ground easily. "Let's see what this baby can do!" Twilight said as she squeezed the talisman. When the magic activated, Twilight felt herself fly into the air and then freaked out when she saw her body on the floor. "Hold on a minute. Is this astral projection!? But why?" Twilight looked down at herself and saw the Sheep talisman in her hoof. "I never had the chance to discover the Sheep's ability." Shendu approached Twilight's motionless body and took a quick sniff. "Ah, fresh meat." Shendu cackled. "Wait, stop!" Twilight panicked as her spirit dove down to her body. Shendu raised his claw as he prepared to slash Twilight, but in the nick of time, the unicorn regained control of her body and rolled away to safety. Twilight quickly pitched the Sheep talisman to Spike, who then stuffed it away in the satchel. "My turn!" Twilight barked. She teleported behind Shendu and jumped on his back once again. Twilight dug her hoof in the dragon's flesh and pulled out another talisman. Shendu reached behind to grab Twilight, but missed right when she pushed away and landed on ground. "Let's hope this works!" Twilight said as she aimed the talisman at Shendu, without knowing which one she had. A big flaming energy blast fired out from Twilight's hoof and nuked Shendu through his torso, leaving a large gaping hole. "Bulls-eye!" Spike cheered. Twilight looked at her hoof and saw that she scored the Dragon talisman. "Oh no!" Twilight panicked, and then pitched the talisman to Spike. "She's still afraid of this one." Spike said, shaking his head in annoyance. Before anyone could celebrate, Shendu was still standing on both legs and the flesh wound quickly shrunk, leaving Twilight and Spike in complete shock.

"This doesn't make sense; how did that attack not kill you!?" Twilight said while feeling bedazzled. "I take it you're not familiar with the talisman of immortality." Shendu said with a cocky smirk. "As long as the Dog talisman remains in my body, I can survive even the most fatal blow. And thanks to the healing magic of the Horse talisman, I can also fully regenerate from any injury, disease, or curse." Twilight did the best she could to not feel intimidated by Shendu's strong advantage, but the look on her face gave away the frustration. "Judging by your angry look, it seems that you have realized one thing about this fight. I am an invincible opponent that cannot be slain nor defeated by any means available." "I can do this all night if I have to, Shendu!" Twilight argued back. She used her same maneuver to teleport behind Shendu, but this time the demon was well prepared. As soon as Twilight appeared from behind and leaped for the back, Shendu pivoted and pointed a finger at Twilight. At that moment, Twilight could not move and Shendu gradually levitated the purple mare off the ground. "I learn from my mistakes, Twilight Sparkle. It's too bad you won't live to learn from yours." Shendu said as his eyes began to glow with yellow flames. Twilight struggled to break free from the Rooster talisman's telekinesis, but then she realized her efforts were futile. Just as Shendu was preparing fire a heat beam from his eyes, Twilight instinctively used her unicorn magic to rip a curtain from the nearest window and did it as fast as she could. The curtain then wrapped around Shendu's face, which broke his concentration on Twilight and allowed her to escape from the telekinetic force. This also gave Twilight another opportunity to go for another talisman, but this time she went for the leg. Twilight dug for a third talisman, pulled it out and ran to a safer distance. By then, Shendu had already ripped the curtain off and regained his focus on Twilight. Impressive, now let's see you dodge this!" Shendu yelled. The dragon fired a barrage of heat beam eye blasts at Twilight, forcing her to continuously run and evade. During this time, Twilight quickly glanced at the talisman she had recently obtained, which happened to be the Monkey talisman. "Twilight, do something already!" Spike shouted. "Alright, here it goes. Rabbit!" Twilight said while aiming the talisman at Shendu. Suddenly, a magical blue beam fired out and struck Shendu. The fearsome dragon had been transformed into a green gnarly rabbit with red eyes. "Heh, how cute." Twilight joked. While the unicorn was off guard, Shendu shot another eye blast at Twilight, who then barely avoided the attack.

"Dangit, I already forgot he could do that." Twilight said, scolding herself. Shortly after, Shendu ceased fired and disappeared into thin air. Twilight perked an eyebrow and looked very confused as to what had just happened. "Twilight, he's using the Snake talisman to stay invisible!" Spike alerted. Twilight kept looking around the whole room and tried to listen for movement. All of the sudden, Twilight felt something strong and fluffy yank the Monkey talisman from her hoof. Shendu then reappeared and used the talisman to return to his original form. "You little rat!" Shendu snapped. By saying the word rat, another magical beam projected at Twilight. She narrowly dodged and returned back to running from more animal magic blasts. After a short while, Shendu felt bored of using the same attack and stopped, which also gave Twilight a chance to take a breather. "I grow tired of your insolence. I shall bring you closer to death!" Shendu declared. The dragon demon began to move around the room with extreme speed, making it way too difficult for Twilight to focus on his movements. Twilight had dealth with the power of the Rabbit talisman before, but in this sceria there was not any ice water to knock over. Switching to a defensive stance, Twilight created a magical force field to protect herself from Shendu's sonic dash attacks. Each time Shendu landed a blow, Twilight could feel her shield weakening. "Okay Twilight. It's now or never." Twilight thought to herself. "I'll smash that shield of yours right now!" "Shendu called out. He clinched a fist and dashed once more towards Twilight's barrier. It was obvious that the dragon was going for a solid punch to destroy the force field; however, Twilight planned quickly in advance and made her move. She disabled her shield right when Shendu threw a straight punch, catching the big demon off guard and causing him to fumble and fall. Twilight seized the opportunity to jump for Shendu's right arm and pull out another talisman. Right when she dismounted and repositioned on the ground, Twilight felt a surge of power flow through her body. This gave her the courage to attack Shendu with all her might, which she knew was in her best interest. As soon as Shendu was almost completely on both feet, Twilight charged at full speed towards the dragon and nailed him in the chest with a jumping back kick. The force of Twilight's attack was so strong that it launched Shendu all the way towards the wall, causing the fortress to shake. Twilight looked down at the talisman she was holding, finally realizing that it was the mighty Ox. "Alright! The strength talisman! You got this, Twilight!" Spike cheered in excitement. Shendu eased himself up off the ground and brushed away the small debris from his arms and back, indicating that he still did not feel threatened.

"You may have the Ox but all that makes you is a stubborn mule. As for your baby dragon, he should learn to never underestimate his enemies." Shendu said while casting a glare at Spike. "I must admit Twilight Sparkle, you have done very well to last this long against the powers of the Chinese zodiac talismans, but I have only used each one individually." Twilight gulped and understood that Shendu had not been fighting at full strength the entire time. "Indeed, you currently possess three of my talismans; one of which is my personal favorite! But that will only stall your inevitable demise! Now you must face the other nine powers at once!"

"Not on our watch!" a voice shouted from the staircase. It was Rainbow Dash, followed by the other four heroes. "Twilight, sorry we couldn't get here faster!" Applejack painted. "There were so many of those scary ninjas that kept coming at us!" Fluttershy added. "But we're here to save the day!" Pinkie Pie interjected. "Oops; I meant, help you save the day." "Hmm, how about we make things a little more interesting. I'll take all six of you at once and I will no longer hold back." Shendu proposed. "You can't be serious! Twilight Darling, don't let him dictate the rules!" Rarity begged. "I accept the offer." Twilight replied, ignoring Rarity's plea. "On what condition: give me and my friends a short intermission." "Fine. Do as you wish." Shendu snickered.

"I know this is a very strange request, but we need to touch hooves and form a circle." Twilight instructed. "Earth to Twilight! In case you didn't forget, there's a giant demon waiting to make a meal out of us!" Rainbow Dash cried out. "Yes I already know, Rainbow Dash! You just have to trust me!" Twilight answered back assertively. Realizing they had no other options, the rest of the mane six did as they were told and gathered around. "Now concentrate…" said Twilight. Every pony in the circle felt something trigger within and then they felt the same power that Twilight received from Princess Luna. At that point, all five of Twilight's friends had their hooves glowing green, and they now had the courage to take on Shendu. "Oh my goodness! Twilight darling, you did it! You've mastered an alicorn spell!" Rarity cried in amazement. "Now let's kick some dragon tail!" Pinkie Pie hollered.

The six heroes charged into battle, but had made the mistake of not having a planned out strategy. Shendu on the other hand knew how he would dispose of his opposition. "You've all fallen into my trap!" Shendu taunted. He used his power of invisibility to vanish, and then used super speed to avoid being tackled by his opponents. "Darn it, he got away!" Applejack said impatiently. "Don't worry, I've seen this before." said Fluttershy. "Just close your eyes and listen…" As Fluttershy tried to concentrate, a strong force took hold of all the ponies, whom were all lifted slowly off the ground. Shendu reappeared and kept his concentration on the now helpless heroes. As Twilight was lifted up, the Ox talisman slipped from her hoof and rolled away towards the corner where Spike was. The baby dragon took it immediately into his satchel. "In case any of you haven't realized by now, I've used a combination of speed, invisibility, and levitation to defeat all six of you at once!" Shendu laughed. The mane six struggled as hard as they could to break free from the hold, but the power of the Rooster was too strong. "Ah ha ha ha ha! It's funny really. I thought I would have to use every single talisman to beat six of you, but it only took three! I wonder which one I should use next? Heat beam eyes? Shape shifting? It's hard to choose, so I think I'll enjoy crushing the life out of all you little pests." Shendu grabbed Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy in his left hand, and then Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash in his right. Spike watched helplessly from the corner as Shendu squeezed the ponies with a firm grip in each hand. "Come on Spike! You're a dragon! You gotta start thinking like one!" he said to himself. All of the sudden, Spike had a breakthrough in his mind and remembered which talismans were in his possession. He reached into the satchel and immediately pulled out the dragon talisman.

"I've toyed with you all long enough! Now I will finish this once and for- ugh!" Out of nowhere, an incredibly strong blast shot through Shendu, which caused him to lose grip of the ponies. "Everyone, do it now!" Twilight commanded. Before Shendu could react first, every pony tacked him at once and dug their hooves into his flesh to grab more talismans. It was too difficult for the demon sorcerer to shake off all six of them at the same time, unlike before where he only had to deal with Twilight. "Your insolence will not be forgiven! Give back my talismans!" Shendu screamed in anger. "Not a chance! I've got your snake right here, so now you can't disappear!" said Twilight. I got the dog! Applejack announced. "Mine's a cute horse." Fluttershy added. "Lucky rabbit's foot!" said Rainbow Dash. "I got the chicken!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "Ugh, why do I get the ugly rodent!?" Rarity cried out. Shortly after, Shendu reverted back to his coiled statue form in the blink of an eye. "Rarity, that's great! Without the Rat, he's back to being a statue!" Twilight pointed out. "So we've got the Rat, Horse, Rooster, Rabbit, Snake, Dog… the dog! Spike, Shendu's mortal! Hurry and use the Dragon talisman!" "Wait young dragon! Spare me, and I will give you anything you truly desire!" Shendu pleaded. "Spike, it's a trick! He'll double-cross you!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "You don't have to remind me. He took over body before, and I'll never forget that!" Spike said with anger. The brave baby dragon held the Dragon talisman and aimed it at the petrified and helpless demon. "Good riddance, Shendu." Spike muttered with a bitter tone. The Dragon talisman fired out a powerful energy beam and blasted Shendu to smithereens. Twilight and the other ponies had to brace themselves so that the aftermath of the blast did not harm them. Suddenly, a dimensional portal with a green antique frame and red and yellow void opened up near the throne. The demon sorcerer, now in an astral form that nobody else could see, was completely sucked in. "I will have my revenge!" the demon swore. Even after Shendu got sucked in, the portal still remained open.

"Alright, we did it! We- uh oh!" Before Pinkie Pie could celebrate, the entire palace began to shake to the point that it felt like an earthquake. "This place is gonna collapse! We gotta get hoofin'! Applejack shouted. Every pony made a run for the exit. Spike was running as fast as he could, but was still not able to keep up with the ponies. Rainbow Dash sensed this, and turned around quickly while airborne. The Pegasus grabbed Spike and left only a dust cloud when she zipped away to safety.

When everyone made it to a safe distance outside, the palace crumbled and turned to dust. The same portal that had taken Shendu away also sucked away the rubble and debris of the palace remains. When there was nothing left, the portal closed for good. "Oh my." Fluttershy quietly said. "Thanks for the lift, Rainbow Dash. I thought I was a goner." Spike said with gratitude. "Hey, it's what friends do." said Rainbow Dash. "We did it. We actually… won…" said Twilight. She felt lightheaded and passed out from exhaustion. Twilight could hear her friends calling her name as her head got lighter, but then she lost consciousness.

End of Chapter

Quick update: There is going to be an epilogue so that I can give this fanfic proper closure. But for now, I really hope that ya'll enjoyed this chapter!


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

"She's waking up." Fluttershy alerted to the other ponies. Twilight was slowly opening her eyes and found herself in Princess Celestia's bed. "Wow, what a weird dream." said Twilight. "The last thing I remember was running out of the palace and then everything went dark." "That ain't no dream ya had, Twi. Everything that happened after Shendu vanished was fer real." Applejack explained. "Not that it was anything special, but we all took turns carrying you back." Rainbow Dash added. "Wait, the talismans! Where are the talismans!?" Twilight panicked. "Whoah, easy sugar!" Applejack said, attempting to calm the unicorn. "We have them, silly goose. Right here!" Pinkie Pie pulled out all twelve talismans from her pink poofy mane and placed them in a pile for Twilight to look at. "I was certain the portal had sucked them all with Shendu. How did you manage to get them back?" Twilight asked while examining the Snake talisman. "Right after you blacked out, Rarity sensed the presence of strong magic in the area. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have looked in the big pile of rubble and debris." Fluttershy recalled. "Why thank you, Fluttershy. It was nothing really. I didn't know right away that the talismans were the actual source, but I had to trust my horn's magic instinct. To be quite honest, you and Spike are the real heroes in my opinion." Said Rarity.

"Aw, you're embarrassing me." Spike said as he blushed and scratched the back of his head, feeling humbled by the praise from his crush. "Seriously. That was totally awesome when you blasted that big scaly demon with the Dragon talisman!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "By the way, was there somethin' goin' on between the two of ya? I coulda sworn I heard ya say somethin' about him taking over yer body." Said Applejack, who vaguely remembered the verbal exchange during the heated moment. "Oh, well, I think I was only exaggerating when I said that. Just the two of us dragons talking garbage." Spike said in a very dodgy manner. "Spike… explain." Twilight said with a stern look in her eye. The baby dragon knew at that moment there was no backing out of the truth. He had to come clean with the six mares. "Alright, I'll tell you what happened." Spike said with a sigh. "It was the day when Twilight and Pinkie Pie found the Sheep talisman and brought it back to the library. When I saw it, I couldn't resist the urge to find out its power. It took a while for me to trigger the effect of the talisman, but as soon as I did, I went unconscious. Then, I saw my body lying down and then looked at myself floating in the air." "Oh dear, you must've had an out of body experience while sleeping!" Rarity said in shock. "It's more than that Rarity. Spike unlocked the power of astral projection from the talisman." Twilight stated. "Right. So anyway, I got all excited and decided to fly around Equestria. Too bad no one could see or hear me. As soon as I got back, Shendu, whom I didn't know at all during that time, dived into my body just before I could get in, and took control." "Wow, that's crazy! I mean Pinkie crazy! You sure you haven't been reading too much fiction?" Pinkie Pie asked. The other five ponies gave Pinkie a serious look, as if she had broken down an invisible wall." "My bad." Pinkie whispered.

"Wait just a minute, how did you get your body back?" Rainbow Dash asked with eager skepticism. "As soon as I thought all was lost, Princess Luna appeared in Ponyville and exorcised Shendu for good." Spike said, concluding the dark tale. "And even after all that happened, we still never got back the Sheep talisman." The dragon looked down at the floor with a humiliated expression. "Spike… you don't have to be so hard on yourself." Said Rarity. "I gotta give ya props Spike. I bet if ya told that story to complete strangers, you'd be just as honest about it." Applejack applauded. "But it takes greater courage to be honest with your friends." Said a voice near the doorway. Spike and the ponies looked back and saw that Princess Luna had entered without them noticing beforehand. "Princess Luna! We were just talking about you and-." "Yes, young Spike, I heard it all, and I still remember everything that happened. The moment I detected your astral form, there was not a doubt in my mind that the draconic demon would seize the chance to take your hollow vessel for his own bidding." Luna recalled. "On a happier note, the reason I came in here was to say that my sister has fully recovered and she would be glad to see all of you down in the grand hall." "That's great! Princess Celestia must've fully recovered if she's already calling us for a meeting!" Twilight rejoiced. "Don't you want to rest a bit longer?" Fluttershy asked. "I insist. And besides, it wouldn't be fair for all of you to have to wait on me." Said Twilight. "It's okay, Twilight. We'll wait until this evening." Said Luna. As the rest of the gang started to leave the stronghold, Pinkie Pie scooped the talismans and stuffed them back in her mane and left Twilight to her rest.

Later that evening, everybody made their way to the grand hall where Princess Celestia resided. "I really do appreciate you all being so patient with me. What did you all do while I was asleep?" Twilight curiously asked. "Oh, just the usual pony games. Checkers, Go Fish, Old Mare, tick-tack-hoof." Pinkie Pie listed. Tohru was also present, and looked much better than he did before. "Wow Tohru, you recovered so quick!" Twilight said in surprise. "I am at your mercy, Twilight Sparkle. If it was not for you and your hospitality, I would've never made it through that ordeal." Said Tohru. Twilight smiled back and offered a hoofshake. Tohru returned it back. "Welcome to the good guys. You'll love it here." "I know we've seen each other so many times, but maybe we should formally introuduce ourselves. My name is Rarity and we're so glad to have you here." "Name's Applejack." "Rainbow Dash at your service!" "Um, I'm Fluttershy, and it's really nice to get to know you better." "Aaaannnnd Pinkie Pie!" The mane six all gave Tohru a group pony hug, which made the stallion feel very welcomed. "I, am honored." Tohru said happily. Spike stood a few feet away, looking at floor and scratching the back of his head. Twilight gave him the stern look, which forced the dragon to. "Well, I usually don't get too acquainted with strangers this easily, but at least we're all safe and happy. The name's Spike." The dragon said, shaking Tohru's hoof. "None taken." Tohru answered back with a smile.

"I'm very glad to see everyone on good terms." Said Princess Celestia. "But for now, I would like your undivided attention. It is my pleasure to announce that Shendu has finally been banished from Equestria, which brings peace to our land once again. Because of this heroic achievement; me and my sister are in your debt." The two sisters graciously bowed to Twilight and her friends to show their dearest respect. "Ideally, it would best to return them to their original world, but for now we can only do what we can to keep them out of the clutches of evil." Said Princess Luna. "Now if we to save the day again, it wouldn't be a bad idea to use the talismans, right?" Spike said enthusiastically. Twilight and her friends looked over at Spike and gave him the skeptical and disapproving look. "I mean hey, the only stupid question is not asking." Spike said with a light chuckle. "Then it's time. Pinkie Pie and Rarity, you have the honor." Twilight instructed. The bubbly pony grabbed all the talismans from her hoof and threw them up in the air. When they reached their peak point, Rarity used her magic to freeze them in midair and organize all the talismans in a single file line. Afterwards, the generous unicorn levitated them all in orderly into a golden chest that Princess Celestia already had open. As soon as all the talismans were inside the chest, Applejack kicked the lid shut and secured the lock. "Safe and sound, lickity split!" Applejack cheered.

"Hey! You know this calls for? A party!" Pinkie Pie screamed in joy while proceeding to fire confetti from her signature party cannon." Everyone else eagerly agreed and they all partied until midnight. It was a magnificent feeling for the ponies to celebrate their victory, for the future holds great possibilities for Equestria's most noble heroes.

Meanwhile at the Manehattan jail, Trixie and her goons were all locked in the same cell, looking miserable. "Well this stinks." Said Ratso. "That Shining Armor just had to catch us right when we were on the run." Chow pouted. Ignoring the others, Trixie was sitting in the farthest corner of the cell, cursing under her breath. "Hey Trix, you gonna keep griping in that corner. It's already been three hours and you're really freakin' us out." Finn snapped. "Tch! I wish big V was here to bust this joint." "You guys wanna hoof wrestle?" Ratso suggested. "SHUT UP!" Finn and Chow shouted back.

"I'll get you next time Twilight Sparkle." Trixie grumbled and narrowed her eyes. "The Great and-Powerful Trixie will make sure of that…"

Next time, a new beginning

(This has been a very fun fanfic to write, and I can promise you that there will be plenty more to come! The next MLP Jackie Chan crossover will be separate from this one, but it will obviously continue from this ending. Happy New Year!)


End file.
